Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing well! This chapter was a bit weird to write since we technically don't see Peter for most of it; it's all hearsay and surveillance. Hopefully it's not too bad though! Hope you all enjoy it! :D
"This is a stupid plan."
"This is your plan."
"That don't make it any less stupid."
Actually, 'stupid' was a relatively common theme when it came to Ravager plans. The top three categories usually fell to: stupid, reckless, and downright suicidal. This plan somehow managed to fall under all three. But they were short for time and lacked the luxury of choice so this plan was all they had to work with.
The exchange had to be made today, on time, otherwise it would be viewed as an unforgivable slight against the entirety of the W'Yan Federation and the full force of their military would be hot on the trail of every Ravager ship in the tri-galaxy area. The problem, however, was that the exchange needed to be made by the Ravager captain in order to be considered legitimate; the same Ravager captain who was laid up in bed with a broken leg and a handful of fractured ribs.
Recovering the Korax crystals the W'Yan's had requested hadn't been the issue, it was the cave-in that happened after the fact. Turns out Korax crystals are coated in a very thin layer of phosphorus and have a bad habit of spontaneous combustion and setting off small explosions once they're removed. The W'Yans, who had hired the Ravagers to retrieve the crystals for them, conveniently left this bit of information out of the initial discussion and the Ravagers had to figure it out the hard way.
Three had been killed instantly when a large chunk of the cave's ceiling collapsed, crushing them beneath several hundred pounds of rock. Two others were taken out by a secondary explosion, this one strong enough to bring the rest of the cave down on top of them. In the span of four minutes, five of the original nine Ravagers who had gone into the cave were dead and the surviving four were buried beneath piles of rock and rubble.
Peter hadn't been in the cave when it collapsed; he had been in charge of keeping the ship level and ready to go the second the landing party returned. So he was a little surprised when, not fifteen minutes after they left the ship and ventured into the cave, the whole damn thing collapsed on top of them.
It had taken less than a minute for him to figure out what had happened and make a run for the destroyed remnants of the cave. A tall, grey-skinned Ravager by the name of Arj was already digging at the rubble by the time Peter reached him, his arms and face covered in scrapes and bruises from being showered with debris. He'd been right on the outside of the cave when it collapsed, the force of the explosion knocking him back several feet and away from the direct line of fallout.
It seemed impossible that anyone could have survived the collapse but a minute or so later, after some of the dust settled, the muffled sound of voices could be heard beneath the rocks. It had been a slow, careful process after that to get to the surviving Ravagers because the slightest bump could set off another explosion, but after several long, anxious minutes, the first signs of life were found under the rubble.
Peter found Kraglin first, the firstmate semi-conscious and groaning when the rocks were pulled away. He was miraculously uninjured, the only notable trauma being a gash along his hairline that left his face covered in blood and dust. Yondu was uncovered next but his injuries were significantly worse. His lower left leg was twisted in an unnatural angle and several large pieces of rock were keeping it that way. Peter managed to get the rocks removed and drag him out of the rubble just as Arj was doing to the same thing with Kraglin.
The last survivor, Vorq, was in the worst shape. Most of the bones in his body had been pulverized by the cave's collapse and there were pieces of bone sticking out of his skin like shards of glass. The fact that he was still alive by the time Peter and Arj got to him was amazing in itself but there was no guarantee he would survive for much longer. Still, they couldn't just leave him there to die alone so they carefully gathered his broken body between them and carried him back to the ship.
Once they surviving Ravagers had been returned to the ship, a small collection of the Korax crystals were retrieved from the rubble and tucked away in a thick-walled room of the cargo hold. At least down there a tertiary explosion would cause minimal damage to the ship. The assurance was small consolation to the rest of the crew, however; five Ravagers still died getting those crystals and now the remaining crew was expected to deliver them to the very people who hadn't warned them about their explosive potential in the first place. It didn't sit well with anyone but it couldn't be avoided now.
"You said it yourself," Peter says, trying (and failing) to fix his hair in the reflection of the small shard of polished silver that served as a mirror. "The delivery has to come from the Ravager Captain to be legit and since you're bedbound for the next few days we don't really have a choice."
"Boy, they gonna know you ain't the captain the second ya walk in," Yondu protests, his words clearly falling on deaf ears as he speaks.
"Not if I don't tell them," Peter counters smoothly, giving up on his hair and settling with just leaving it shaggy and unkempt. They're Ravagers, not fashion models, a little bit of disarray is to be expected.
"They've only ever communicated with you via closed transmission, right? So they've never actually seen what you look like. I've been around you long enough to imitate that weird hillbilly-space-pirate thing you got goin' on so as long as I don't come out and say I'm not really the captain they'll never know."
Yondu grumbles to himself peevishly; the kid's got a point as much as he hates to admit it. The W'Yan were still pretty primitive as far as interplanetary species went and they had only just discovered successful space flight within the past few years. Their communication system was incredibly basic, consisting of little more than a single line, voice-to-voice method that left no room for more advanced features like hologram technology and live images. Still, they were a formidable, warrior race who took offense to the slightest thing and the idea of sending Peter there, alone, did not sit well with the injured captain.
"This is still a bad idea," he mutters, shifting his weight slightly to relieve the pressure against his injured ribs.
"Yeah, it is," Peter allows with a half shrug. "But it's the only one we have. Besides, it's not like anyone else can go. You can't walk, Kraglin has a head injury, Vorq is still partially dead up in the med bay, and Arj doesn't speak." Peter flashes a quick grin over his shoulder before rifling his fingers through his hair again. "It'll be fine, trust me."
Yondu frowns again as he watches the kid makes another futile attempt to make himself look presentable. It's not Peter he doesn't trust; the boy was headstrong and more than a little reckless, sure, but he was loyal and knew the severity of the situation at hand. In fact, Yondu trusted Peter to get this delivery made more than any other member of his crew outside of Kraglin. But he didn't trust the W'Yan; one wrong move, one wrong word and they would kill him where he stood. If they discovered Peter wasn't actually the Ravager Captain, he would be killed immediately and the thought of that happening settled like a weight in Yondu's stomach.
"The second ya make that delivery, you get yer ass back on this ship, ya understand?" he snaps when Peter finally gives up with the mirror and turns to face him. "Ya keep the conversation short 'n sweet an' then you get out. No small talk, no jokes; just in, out, an' done."
Peter nods and hoists the collection bag up onto one shoulder. They had managed to remove most of the phosphorus from the crystals and render them somewhat stable. There was still the potential for combustion, however, so they were tucked inside a triple-insulated bag just in case. What the W'Yans decided to do with them once the drop was made was on them; the fact that Peter secretly hoped a few of the crystals would explode in their hands was beside the point.
"Well," Peter says, brushing his hands across his pants one last time like it would somehow fix the rest of outfit. It didn't. "Guess this is as good as it's gonna get. Time for the show."
He starts to walk toward the door but Yondu stops him. "Quill, wait."
Peter pauses and turns just in time to catch a heavy coat to the face. He fumbles with it, letting it unfurl to the full length. It's battered and worn, the sleeves and the body full of holes and stitches. It's Yondu's and he doesn't part with it easily so for a few seconds Peter just stares at it dumbly.
"Put it on, idiot," the Captain tells him, rolling his eyes as Peter fumbles his way into the coat. "Ain't no one gonna believe yer a Ravager Captain if ya ain't wearin' a Ravager jacket."
Despite its bulk, the coat fits almost perfectly. It brushes just below his knees and the sleeves stop right at the base of his wrists. It's a little tight across the shoulders (Peter is more broad-shouldered now that he's gotten older; he's also about an inch or two taller than Yondu now. Bastard…) but years of use and wear have made it the leather comfortable and pliable.
The Ravager Captain nods once in approval. "Good, now ya at least look the part."
Peter smirks and moves toward the door again but Yondu's voice stops him once again.
"You watch yerself down there, boy," he warns, crimson eyes leveling him with sharp intensity. "If things go south we ain't gonna be able to intervene; yer gonna be on yer own once you leave this ship."
"Don't piss off the locals. I know," Peter says, tightening the strap on the bag hanging from his shoulder.
"I'm serious, Quill," Yondu growls, wishing he had full mobility to he could stalk across the room and swat the boy across the back of the head for his nonchalance. "These people are gonna look for any reason to take offense with you an' if they find it they will kill you. This ain't a joke, boy, this is life or death."
"Dude, I know," Peter insists with a small sigh. "I know how serious this is, Yondu, and trust me, I'm not in any hurry to get down there and get shot. The quicker we get away from this group of psychos the better. I'll deliver the crystals and come straight back, no offenses made."
It's Yondu's turn to sigh and he slumps back against the wall. "See that you do," he grumbles, suddenly exhausted from pain and the nervous energy of sending Peter into what very well might end up being a suicide mission. "You get any new holes in my coat and I'm gonna kick yer ass, Quill."
Peter flashes a quick smirk before walking out of the room. "You'll have to catch me first, old man." And with that the door swishes closed behind him leaving Yondu alone and surly in his room.
He grumbles and sulks alone for a full ten minutes before the silence becomes too much to bear. Irritated, he slowly and painfully pushing himself up and hobbles over to the door. His left leg is immobilized from the hip down which makes walking exceedingly difficult but he makes it out of his room and to the bridge without jostling his injury and making it worse. He's winded and aching by the time he reaches the captain's chair, however, and between his leg and his busted ribs he nearly collapses into the chair.
It takes a second to compose himself but eventually he's able to straighten in the chair and pull up the system he needs on the main screen of the ship's onboard system. It's not spying, not really, it's just surveillance. That's what he tells himself, at least, as he switches on the live feed transmitter he slipped into the coat's pocket before tossing it to Peter.
It's a one-way system so he can hear what's going on but Peter can't hear him. It's low-level eavesdropping and it's just to make sure they can actually do something if the plan goes tits up (which is highly likely with the W'Yans) Hell, the kid probably doesn't even know the transmitter is there let alone knows it's on and on active playback.
Right now all he can hear is the shuffle of fabric from inside the coat's pocket as Peter walks. For several long minutes everything is quiet and the muffled sound of Peter's footsteps is the only thing that fills the room.
"Walkin' around on a broke leg probably ain't the greatest idea, Cap'n," a voice scolds from across the room and said captain turns to see his first mate joining him on the bridge.
"Neither is walkin' around with a head injury, idiot," Yondu snaps without any real heat as Kraglin drops into the chair next to him.
Kraglin waves away the comment and indicates the monitor with a tip of his chin. "That for Peter?"
Yondu sighs and slumps back in his chair again. "Just in case the brat gets in over his head, which, ya know, will more than likely happen."
Kraglin considers this for a second before shaking his head. "I dunno, Cap'n, kid's got a good head on his shoulders. I think he could pull this off."
Yondu says nothing and stares at the screen intently. Once again, it's not Peter he doesn't trust. He's worked with people like the W'Yan before and they're the type to take your money with one hand and slip a knife between your ribs with the other. Peter is smart enough not to cross them but that doesn't mean the W'Yan will show him the same courtesy. The likelihood of them double crossing him and deciding to kill him rather than pay up are extraordinarily high and Yondu wants to be ready to move if that sounds like the case.
A voice cuts through feed, garbled and guttural like its owner has been gargling with lava rocks for the past few years. "Yondu Udonta?" the voice asks, raspy and rough like sandpaper over limestone.
"That'd be me," Peter answers, voice confident and steady like he'd been answering to that name his entire life.
There's a short huff of acknowledgement. "This way," the W'Yan replies tersley and there's more muffled movement as the transmitter is shuffled around inside the pocket. There's no visual to accompany the transmission which makes listening in blindly all the more frustrating. After a few more minutes of silence it sounds like Peter stops.
"You have the crystals?" a different rough voice asks, the pitch still just as raspy and garbled as the previous one.
"Depends," Peter replies breezily. "You got my payment?"
There's a noise, somewhere between a chuckle and a hiss. "The crystals first and then you'll get your payment."
"Hmm...no." The response is blunt and surprising, so much so that both Yondu and Kraglin stiffen when they hear it.
"The hell is he doin'?" Kraglin asks, shooting a confused look to the Ravager captain. Yondu doesn't answer but his eyes narrow slightly as he continues to listen.
"You dare challenge our request?" the voice asks incredulously and there's a serious of raspy hisses and snarls in the background that indicates the W'Yan came in force and Peter is outnumbered.
"It ain't a challenge," Peter counters smoothly, his voice level as he speaks. His accent gets thicker the longer he speaks and years of being around Yondu and the other Ravagers bleeds into his words. "I'm just protectin' my interests. See my crew 'n I went to hell an' back gettin' these crystals for you an' I ain't about to hand 'em over till I'm good an' sure you aren't gonna screw me outta payment."
"Your insolence is not appreciated," the W'Yan growls, the warning tone in his voice ringing loud and clear.
"Yeah, well I don't appreciate not bein' paid for my hard work," Peter replies coolly, unfazed by the warning. "Now I can give you the crystals ya requested an' take my payment in full an' be on my way or we can sit here an' argue about it some more. The choice is yours."
There's a series of clicks like weapons being activated and leveled at Peter and Yondu has the sick, sinking feeling that he's about to hear him get shot.
Peter, for his part, just sighs. "Shootin' me ain't gonna do you any good. These crystals are still coated in phosphorus; any kind of spark or sudden movement will cause them to ignite. You really wanna take yer chances with that?"
For a long, tense moment nothing happens and it takes Yondu several seconds to realize he's holding his breath. Finally there's a grumble of assent and it sounds like they've come to some kind of agreement.
"Your payment, as promised," the W'Yan growls, spitting out the words like they're coated in acid.
"Your crystals, as promised," Peter replies, the transmitter shuffling slightly as he passes over the bag.
One of the W'Yan snarls, a disdainful, angry sound. "Leave now, your presence is no longer required."
"Wait," Peter's voice cuts in one last time. "We're not done yet."
Yondu tenses again because what the hell is Peter doing?
Beside him, Kraglin gawks at the monitor in disbelief. "What is he-?"
"Shh," Yondu cuts him off with a sharp hiss before he can continue, listening carefully to the exchange.
"I lost five good men gettin' these crystals for you all because you didn't tell us about the phosphorus. Good help is hard to come by on my ship an' I don't take too kindly to members of my crew gettin' blown up because of a lack of information. Seems only right you should take some responsibility in the end."
A harsh growl is what he gets in response. "Choose your next words carefully, Ravager."
"I want reimbursement for the men I lost. Five hundred units per head."
Peter sounds as cool and relaxed as if he were discussing the weather while Yondu feels like his head is about to explode back on the ship. Of all the brazen, reckless plans the kid could have come up with…
"You have the audacity to demand more payment for the loss of men under your command," the W'Yan seethes, the question quickly turning into a furious statement. "You believe we should compensate you for your incompetence as a Captain?"
"The way I see it," Peter interjects smoothly. "This conversation has less to do with my competence as a Captain an' everything to do with the information that was purposely kept from us by your Federation. You knew about the phosphorus an' ya didn't tell us an' now five of my men are dead an' buried in that cave. That's on you."
The W'Yan lets out an enraged growl and suddenly his voice is much closer like he's taken a lunge at Peter. "I should kill you where you stand."
"You could," Peter reasons calmly. "But then you'll have to find someone else to retrieve those crystals for ya an' I can guarantee my Ravagers are your cheapest option. Anyone else is gonna charge you double or triple the price an' if yer not willin' to pay that then ya always have the option of retrievin' 'em yourself. But at least you'll know about the phosphorus when ya go; can't say the same for the men I lost yesterday."
Another snarl greets him but it doesn't sound like any of the W'Yan are advancing. Peter maintains his composure and speaks again in the same calm, level voice. "Five hundred per head an' we stay on as yer glorified errand boys."
It's a bold, dangerous move, one that stands every chance of failing and ending up with Peter dead or worse but he doesn't back down. Finally, the W'Yan grumbles irritably and agrees. "Five hundred per head," he sneers, passing Peter the additional payment with palpable contempt. "As requested."
"Pleasure doin' business with ya," Peter quips, the transmitter shifting as he pockets the payment. There's movement, like he's walking away now, and for a brief moment Yondu feels a twinge of relief that Peter actually pulled this off. But then a voice stops him and the anxiety ratchets up again.
"Heed these words, Yondu Udonta," the W'Yan warns, his voice low and threatening. "Your service was necessary but your brash impertinence will not be tolerated should we meet again. You do not want the W'Yan as your enemies."
"And you don't want my Ravager as yours," Peter retorts smoothly and it sounds like he never stops walking. "So let's save the empty threats and call this meetin' over. I got a ship to get back to."
The conversation ends there and no one stops Peter as he makes his way back to his ship. Still, Yondu doesn't let himself relax until he can hear the sounds of the ship lifting off and pulling out of the planet's atmosphere. Only once he's absolutely sure Peter is safely away from the W'Yan's planet does he allow himself to let out a long, heavy sigh.
"That was a crazy gamble Quill just took," Kraglin mutters, falling back against his chair with a huff. "I kinda surprised they didn't shoot 'im."
Yondu shakes his head once and says nothing. It was a crazy gamble, one that stood every chance of failing, and to be completely honest he's surprised Peter didn't get shot too.
It takes about half an hour for Peter to get back to the main ship and re-anchor in the loading dock. He comes strolling onto the bridge a few minutes later, a thin case containing their payment dangling from his fingers.
"Boy, what part of 'don't piss off the locals' do you not understand?" Yondu growls the second Peter appears on the bridge.
"That was a big risk, Quill," Kraglin admonishes but the tone of his voice makes it clear he's at least a little proud of the exchange.
"A big risk that paid off," Peter counters with a grin before tossing the case to Kraglin. "It doesn't make up for the men we lost but it at least forced the W'Yan to admit they were at fault."
"Yeah, an' it puts us in their crosshairs, brat," the Ravager captain snaps, eyes narrowing as he speaks. "Yer little stunt back there just shot us to the top of a very short shit list. Ya had one job, boy, an' that was to make the exchange an' leave but no, ya had to go off script an' hike up the price an' for what? Twenty-five hundred units? They coulda killed you for that, Quill!"
Peter sighs and flops into the nearest chair. "Dude, chill, it was a test."
"A test?!"
"Yeah, a test. You think they wouldn't have gotten a little suspicious if I didn't address the literal death trap they walked us into? I know Ravagers aren't exactly a cuddly bunch but the deaths of crew members when the blame falls on someone else is a pretty big deal. What was I supposed to do? 'Oh yeah, we lost five men getting these crystals for you but that's fine, it's no big deal.'"
Peter shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. "A Ravager Captain would never let that slide and I made sure they paid for it. Simple as that."
Yondu wants to argue but the kid has a point. A true Ravager Captain would be furious about the lack of communication regarding the phosphorus coating the crystals. Intentional or not, the W'Yan had to know that some of their crew would be killed or at least seriously injured during the retrieval process. No self-respecting Captain would accept that without a fight and Peter had been perceptive enough to realize that going in. Had he shrugged it off and not challenged the exchange the W'Yans might have become suspicious and started doubting his credentials. Then it would have been all over but the cleanup.
Still, he's not happy with the risk Peter took and how easily it could have turned against him. "They still coulda shot you."
"The could have but they didn't," Peter retorts with a grin, kicking his feet up on the navigation panel. "Look, if it makes you feel any better I didn't like this assignment either. Pretending to be you for an hour was exhausting."
Yondu rolls his eyes. "Smart ass."
Peter just laughs and shrugs his way out of the coat. "Here," he says, passing it back to the real Ravager Captain sitting across from him. "I relinquish my temporary title."
Yondu shakes his head and indicates the jacket with a dip of his chin. "Keep it," he says simply, actively avoiding Peter's surprised gaze. "Can't be a Ravager without a jacket, right?" He shrugs in a way that's supposed to look aloof and nonchalant but fails at both. "'Sides, that one's gettin' too small for me anyway."
Peter says nothing for a minute and simply stares at the coat in his hands. Finally, he smirks a little and nods, slipping the coat back on without a word. He straightens it carefully on his shoulders and lets his arms fall back to his sides once he's sure it's settled.
Recognizing the weirdly sentimental gesture and the fact that Yondu would sooner skin him alive than comment further on the exchange, Peter takes that as his cue to leave. "If anyone needs me I'll be below deck," he calls over his shoulder before stepping out of the room, the door swishing closed behind him.
For a long couple moments, no one speaks. Finally, when the silence becomes too much to bear, Kraglin leans back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on the door Peter just passed through. He opens his mouth to say something but Yondu cuts him off before the words ever come.
"Not a word."
Kraglin smirks and shakes his head. "I'm just sayin'-"
"Keep "sayin'' an' I'll gut you."
The first mate laughs quietly and holds his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright; have it your way."
Another beat of silence passes. "Now ya gotta find a new coat."
"Shut up."
Thanks for reading guys! :D