Sorry for the late update.

It's just that I don't come online that often anymore, for not much is happening on my accounts.
And thus I hardly find motivation to keep updating my fics.

Anyway, I have some good news for those few people who enjoy this fic, for I managed to finish the whole thing a few weeks ago.
In the last chapter I said that I am not sure if I will ever finish it, but since I don't like having another unfinished story lying around here I decided to collect my last bit of creativity and finished the story.

Sadly I couldn't write down everything I wanted to, because I just lack the motivation to do so and thus I gave the story a pretty quick end, but I still like how it came out. You will see what I mean once I posted it. The story now has 19 chapters + epilogue. So 9 more chapters to come for you ;).

A big thank you goes out to those few people who still comment here and who still give me a reason to update this fic.
You are not many, but appreciate your support so much.

I wish more people would be like you.

To answer a few comments:

paradise dazzleshine:
Yeah it's also sad for me that one of my most favorite hobbies got destroyed.
I don't even write stories for myself anymore, because the fun for it has been totally destroyed.
I don't even want to update most of my stories on here, because I see that no one has interest in them anymore.
Best example is my Venom one shot collection. The only "interest" I got recently was fake interest -.-.
At the moment I don't even know if I want to continue updating this collection or not.
I mean there are still a lot of Venom stories which I love and which I would love to share,
but then I see that as good as nobody has interest in them and then I ask myself: Why should you do it then?
It's sad to see that the readers, an author has, don't even WANT to change anything.
If they would simply start showing the author that they read their stuff and maybe even enjoy what they are reading then everything would change.
But no, instead of doing that they stay quiet, don't comment, don't bother to change anything and some even insult you.
This whole Fanfiction community has become pathetic if you ask me...

Guest1:
Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed the update :)

Guest 2:
Thank you so much for your kind words, that means so much to me :).
I definitely enjoy my new job. Just this week I have been in cinema with one of my co-workers to watch the Joker with her.
Was an amazing evening :3. I am so happy that I have found this work.
I am also happy to see that some of my stories gave you inspiration :3.

Thisisafakename:
Like I said: I don't write anymore; not even for myself, for the fun of writing has been totally destroyed for me.
What once was one of my most favorite hobbies, just feels like a waste of time for me nowadays and that's why I don't do it anymore.
I only concentrate on my nature photography from now on or play video games or read a good book when I have some time to do so.
But I don't write anymore. But it makes me happy to see that you and some others still enjoy what I upload here :)
I mean if only one person would show interest I would keep updating, but I see so many fics of mine that get ignored over and over again.
And the worst thing is when people fake their interest. I send them the link to my story and then I hear nothing from them anymore.
This hurts me so, so much. I honestly already thinking of deleting those stories that gets ignored the most, for I see no reason to keep them up.
But then...I don't now what to do. I only know one thing for sure: Those people will NEVER change their behavior and I am sorry for all the new
authors on this or on other websites. I can imagine the heavy disappointment they will feel when uploading stories nobody cares for...
That's why I stopped. I just don't want this anymore. I am still active here, but I am more active in writing comments myself, by reading other
people's works. That's all. Just because I stopped writing, doesn't meant that I have stopped enjoying what others write and post here ;).

Chapter 11

In his first "night" on the Milano (Peter preferred to call it a night, because he had grown tired and gone to bed), the boy hardly got any sleep. Restless, he rolled around in his generous bed, trying to fall asleep, which he just couldn't do.

Something always stopped him from falling asleep.

Sometimes it was the spaceship's turbines that kept him from sleeping, since he could focus only on that sound. Or it was terrible thoughts that sneaked into his mind and made him see images that he wished would never come true. Pictures of a Milano, surrounded by enemies. Pictures of a Milano, that exploded. Pictures of him and Yondu, as they both floated helplessly around in space and died a very painful dead...

Yondu had assured him that they didn't have to worry about something like that and that the autopilot could fly for them, because in this part of the galaxy, you hardly ever met anyone else, as this part of the galaxy seemed to be of little interest, because there were hardly habitable planets here, but still...Peter was scared. And the fact that Yondu had previously put one of those weird, transparent spacesuits into his pocket, just in case, as he had said, didn't make it any better for him.

But he tried to trust him.

Yondu had shown and explained everything to him and he had also explained to him what would happen if the sensors were to spot another ship, no matter how small. All alarms would switch on, which would wake half the Kree Empire, as he had said. Peter didn't know what he meant by that, but it sounded like the ship was well prepared if another ship approached. And besides, the Milano had a generous arsenal of weapons on board...

Still, he didn't like the idea of a computer flying for them, while he and Yondu lay in their beds and slept peacefully, and yes, Peter was glad when they finally landed on the planet that Yondu was about to show him and when he had solid ground under his feet again...

And in fact, it didn't take that long until the destination of their journey came into view, because the very next day, they reached the solar system of the planet.

And Peter was amazed when they approached the planet, which was surrounded by a mighty sun and three moons. The planet was earth-like, with one major difference: there was not nearly as much water on this planet as on Earth. Earth wasn't named as the blue planet for nothing. This planet here was anything but blue. There was much more land mass than water and Peter gave Yondu a slightly anxious look.

"What's wrong, kid? Scared?"

"Are you sure that's safe?"

The elder laughed softly and pressed some buttons and Peter heard how the turbines of the Milano howled.

"Don't worry, Petey. There is enough oxygen for both of us on this planet..."

Before Peter even had a chance to answer, Yondu pushed the control unit forward and the boy screamed, as the spaceship went into an almost perpendicular position. Like an arrow, they darted down, heading straight for the planet and the young Terran thought all of his organs were being pressed into his head. His fingers tightened tightly around the seat belts that held him strapped down to the copilot chair, his knuckles turned white and his eyes were wide with fear, as they moved toward the planet at a maddening pace.

"Yondu! We are way too fast!"

"We ain't too fast. Don't worry so much about that kid and enjoy the ride."

A huge jolt went through the Milano, as the spaceship entered the atmosphere of the planet. They broke through a white cloud cover and then finally the surface of the planet came into sight. An infinite forest stretched right below them and Yondu yanked the control unit back up, so they could fly over the forest. He also throttled the thrusters, so they slowed down and Peter relaxed noticeably and his fingers finally loosened their grip around the safety belts, which he still clutched tightly.

"Now all we have to do is find a suitable place to land and then you will be the first of your kind to walk on a completely different planet. Well, how does that feel like, Pete?"

"Strange..." was all that Peter could say and when Yondu looked at him, he could no longer keep his laughter to himself.

The boy had lost all color in his face and looked like a ghost...

Even later, when they finally found a suitable place to land, Peter didn't feel much better. Yondu couldn't get this broad grin off of his face anymore, when Peter had stormed out of the spaceship as soon as they had landed and he had disappeared behind the nearest bush, where he had gotten rid of his breakfast.

"What a historic moment. That must be immortalized in yer planet's history books, Petey," Yondu teased, as he came back to him, still holding his stomach, as he cramped. He didn't know how many times he had vomited, but he was sure that there couldn't be anything left in his stomach.

Still, he managed to throw a dark look at his mentor, as he dropped down beside him in the grass and lay down on his back. Only now did he really realize where he was. How many light-years away was he from his planet? And he was lying here, breathing oxygen as if it were the most normal thing in the world...no...the most normal thing in the whole galaxy, and maybe that was for many of its inhabitants, but not for him. His eyes wandered around excitedly and although he saw only trees, he couldn't help but feel a great reverence for this planet. This planet was so different from earth and yet it looked like his home planet. But the oxygen he breathed here was purer and fresher than the one he had inhaled on Earth. The grass under his hands felt different when he reached in. Almost like fur. The trees, too, looked different when he looked closely and seemed a lot bigger than the trees that existed on earth.

"Looks like you like it here, huh?"

Yondu's sudden voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he winced, before turning his head into his direction and looked at him. The Centaurian grinned at him again.

"What's so funny?" Peter asked, grumbling.

"I think I'll never forget that landing ever again."

The boy felt how his cheeks heat up, as he blushed and quickly turned away from Yondu's face, who commented this reaction with an amused laugh.

"Seriously, Petey. I have never seen anyone leaving a spaceship as fast as you did in my entire life. Not even the greediest pirate would rush out of a spaceship at the prospect of fat loot. And you did everything wrong, which you could only do wrong. Luckily, this planet is uninhabited. But well, if it hadn't been that way, then I wouldn't have opened the hatch and would have dragged ya to the toilet instead."

"Stop it!" Peter growled, his face now looking as if it would explode with embarrassment any second.

"Aren't we here, because you wanted to teach me something?" he grumbled, sitting up and without looking at Yondu. But he could still feel his grin on his body.

"We are indeed here so ya can learn how to be a pirate, but today we don't do anything anymore. We stay here, relax and get used to the climate of this planet. And if ya feel better tomorrow, we'll start with the first lesson. Sounds like a good plan, right?"

Peter was about to say something when it cracked in the undergrowth and a strange sound came to his ears that sounded like a growl. As he turned his head into the direction the sound had come from, his eyes went rigid with shock. Forgetting all the pain in his stomach, he jumped up and stumbled back, quickly hiding behind Yondu, who had also got up. But the pirate didn't look alarmed at all, but rather amused. Peter didn't understand this reaction and didn't care about it at that moment, because at that very moment, something broke out of the undergrowth and headed straight towards them.

It was a small creature, moving swiftly and skillfully on two small, thin legs. On the back it carried a long bone crest. A long tail balanced the creature perfectly. It was only a few inches tall, but Peter was so scared of it, that he quickly hid behind Yondu and clawed at his coat.

"What's this? Didn't you say this planet is uninhabited?"

"Calm down, Peter. That's just an Orloni. They don't do anything to anyone. Ya can find them almost everywhere in the galaxy. Totally harmless."

"Harmless? They have fangs!"

"But only very small fangs."

"And that should calm me down?"

"Now don't be like that. I thought ya want to be a Ravager? A Ravager ain't scared of an Orloni."

"Oh come on, Yondu, as if you weren't scared of something like that when you saw it for the first time!"

"The first thing I saw were Kree soldiers who put me in an arena to fight for their amusement. You can't really compare that to an Orloni. And now come on, let go of my coat and sit down again. If ya don't pay attention to the little guy, it will disappear by itself."

Peter hesitated for a moment, but then decided that Yondu was right and he had to overcome his fear. He would really be a lousy Ravager if he was scared of such a little creature. But it was easier said than done to stay calm, because as soon as he had sat down in the grass, the Orloni was back and approached him quickly, which made Peter squeak and quickly he scooted away from him and crashed into Yondu's body, who only rolled his eyes. But he looked at the spectacle silently and with a little grin on his lips and didn't think to scare the Orloni away. No. Peter was about to gradually get to know the universe and all the creatures that lived there and such an Orloni was the perfect beginning for it. In addition, these little creatures could be found almost everywhere. The rats of the galaxy, that's what some called them. They were totally harmless and perfect for someone who had yet to get to know the galaxy and all its inhabitants.

Well not all inhabitants, because there were creatures in the galaxy from which Yondu wanted to keep Peter away at any cost...

Meanwhile, Peter tried to calm down and in fact he managed to do so a bit, as the Orloni stopped and looked at him curiously. Slowly, very slowly, he came closer, but as soon as he noticed that Peter was scared of him, he stopped and cocked his head.

"See? He doesn't want to harm ya. He's just curious," he heard Yondu say and his voice sounded much softer than before. And he seemed to be right with his words, for the Orloni didn't look as if he wanted to attack them. He just watched them and came closer step by step and Peter eventually found the courage to stretch his hand out, albeit very hesitantly, to the little creature who gladly accepted the invitation. It approached his hand and Peter was already pulling it away again, but Yondu stopped him from doing so, as he grabbed his arm and held it outstretched, so Peter had to touch the Orloni. Carefully the little creature nudged his hand, sniffed on it and then rubbed his head on it and it was this small gesture that broke the ice and Peter relaxed more and more. When Yondu released his arm, Peter even went so far as to pet the little creature, which started to make purring noises.

The moment lasted for a few minutes, before it was over as quickly as it had come, for when the Orloni had had enough, he disappeared with a squeaking sound in the undergrowth of the forest.

"See? That wasn't too bad, was it?"

There was a small smile on Peter's lips as he pulled his hand back to him, shaking his head.

"No. That wasn't bad..."

As the night slowly settled over the planet and wrapped everything in darkness, Yondu had already built a small campfire, over which he fried a few things that he had brought from the Eclector and that would serve as dinner.

They sat behind the entry hatch of the Milano, which also gave them light with their many lights and headlamps. The hatch was open so they could quickly get on board and disappear in an emergency case, but Yondu had serious doubts that this would happen. But he wanted to be on the safe side. He didn't want to risk anything. Especially not when a child was around...

Peter had completely relaxed after the Orloni encounter, but Yondu didn't want him exploring the area alone, so he always kept an eye on him and called him back when the boy moved a little too far away from the campfire. Eventually, Peter sat next to him and scooted closer to the fire, as it had become colder, as night fell over this side of the planet.

Silently, he stared into the flames and bit into the piece of meat that Yondu had handed him and he was lost in his own thoughts. Still, it wasn't easy for him to process all this. He had experienced so many new things in such a short time. He didn't know how to deal with this flood of information and it made his head ache. But on the other hand, there was still that childlike excitement in him and the urge to adventure was stronger than ever. And he couldn't help but feel a wave of pride, as he remembered that he was the only human on earth to experience such an adventure...and also by the side of a real pirate!

But when he turned his eyes to said pirate, he looked no longer so piratey to him. His eyes were half-closed and Yondu looked like he was about to fall over and fall asleep here and now. And Peter couldn't help but giggle softly at that, which of course immediately brought him the attention of the Centaurian, who looked at him tiredly, but with a raised eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"You're funny."

"Why?"

"Just look at you: You look like you're about to fall over."

"I'll get tired, too, Petey. I always wonder where ya get all this energy from."

"I am also much younger than you."

"What does that mean? Are you saying that I'm old?"

The boy grinned cheekily.

"Perhaps?"

"Pfft please. You better not underestimate me, my boy. There are powers in me that ya don't even suspect."

"Yeah, I can totally see those powers right now."

"Tomorrow I like to convince you of the opposite. But for today we let it be, okay? How about we go to bed?"

"I'm not tired yet."

"Oh man…"

Yes, children could be really exhausting...