DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, either in its movie or comic incarnation. I own any OC I can invent, though. I am not making a £ out of this. It is just for shits and giggles.

Warnings: bucket-loads of angst, some gore (mostly implied), and some language.

Implied Star-Lord/Gamora established relationship.
And yes, the Kree have mostly Irish names, I couldn't help it. One of my football mates is a handsome Irish dude called Ronan and somehow the association stuck.

Enjoy!

Rocket's friend ends up performing emergency surgery on the Kree in what passes for their kitchen. There is not a lot of space in there in the best of circumstances, now, with the tall alien draped on the table it just seems awfully cramped.
Rocket and Drax disappear as if by magic as soon as the doctor starts. Peter and Gamora end up having to assist him. They see much more that they had signed up for. Kree have blue innards too. Who would have thought?

Drax re-emerges once they are finished and transports a sedated Ronan to the newly installed detention facility. They roll out the sleeping mat and lay the prisoner down on it, covering him with a blanket.
The doctor has said that Ronan is lucky to be even alive and has lost loads of blood. He will probably be out of commission for days, but Rocket insists and does not relent, so they end up chaining the Kree to the walls of the cell "for safety". Peter is not very happy about it, it seems like an abuse to him, but at least the chains are long enough for Ronan to move in his sleep if he needs to.

The group moves back to the common area. Peter scrubs the smears of black-blue blood away from the table and prepares coffee for everyone. They have much to discuss, but no one seems to be comfortable with starting, so they sit together in silence for a while, nursing their coffees.

"What a night..." Peter says, trying to jump-start the conversation.
Drax and Rocket nod and grumble noncommittally, but don't elaborate. Gamora doesn't even tick. She is looking down at her mug of coffee as if it holds all the answers.
Groot is not helping either. He has slipped fully into the dark phase of his daily cycle and is out cold, curled in his vase. He is even snoring slightly. Peter nudges him gently with a finger and the sapling repositions himself without even waking up. The snoring ceases.

"So, guys... - Peter plods on, taking another sip of his coffee - Any thoughts on what we should be doing with Crazy Smurf?"
"We could kill him and space him in an asteroid field, not necessarily in this order." Rocket proposes, slurping his coffee. Even Drax gives him a horrified stare.
"But you guys seem to have gone soft on him... so I am alright with just dumping him on Nova Prime's turf and running away as fast as possible." the sentient raccoon continues, waving a hand in the air despondently.
"That is cruel, my furry friend." Drax objects.
"Hey, I said I don't insist on killing him!" Rocket protests.
Drax shakes his head. "The cruelty lies not in his death, but in preventing him from regaining his honour. - he explains - For a warrior it is a fate worse than death."

"There can't be anything worse than death! - Rocket exclaims - Because when you are dead, that's it! Game over! There is nothing you can do anymore." he says.
"It is true, but..." Drax starts to say.
"No buts! - Rocket interrupts him, slamming a hand on the table - I can't believe it! I mean, I know you guys had your moment of male bonding back in the parking lot, but you can't have fallen for the repentance trick!" he says, fur bristling on the back of his neck.
Drax doesn't reply, he looks at his hands and remains silent.
"Come on, dude! - Rocket insists - This is the oldest trick in the book! It should be disallowed, from how old it is! You can't fall for it!" he rants.
"That guy is a nearly-unstoppable killer. He's a genocidal maniac! He nearly killed us all! - Rocket continues, seeing that everyone else is too busy brooding to respond - He hasn't repented! He is just trying to buy himself some time!" he declares.
"Time for what, Rocket? - Peter asks wearily- All his men are dead. His people has left him to rot."
"I don't know what for, but, guys! Let's be real! - Rocket objects - Do you really believe that he had no intentions of blowing Xandar? Do you really think that he has been made to do it?" he asks.

"I do." Gamora says quietly.
"What?!" Rocket exclaims, turning sharply towards her.
Gamora sighs and raises her eyes from the mug.
"I said I do believe it." she confirms.
Rocket looks at her like she has sprouted a second head.
"You guys seem to always forget that I was a daughter of Thanos until not long ago."she continues.
"Yeah, so what?" Rocket asks.
"So I have been with the Mad Titan for years on end. I traveled with Ronan for over a year on Thanos' bidding. I know how Thanos works... I know how things came to pass..." she explains. Her eyes stray back to the mug.
"For Thanos people are nothing but toys. He plays with each one of them. - she continues - He takes their loves and fears and uses them to push them to the brink of insanity, he twists them, he torments them, he uses them to do his bidding, and when they are broken, he discards them." she explains, and with every word she seems to become angrier and sadder.

"A couple of years ago, there was this guy, from a place called Asgard... - she narrates - He had found out that he had been kidnapped as a baby and used as political leverage by his adoptive father for all his life. He flipped the lid, wanted vengeance against his daddy. By the time Thanos had finished with him, the guy went to Terra with an army of Chitauri, set on wreaking havoc and capturing the Tesseract." she explains.
"What?! - Peter exclaims - That's my home planet!"
"They are safe.- Gamora reassures - Thanos had intelligence that a bunch of Terrans and an Asgardian managed to stop him and take the Stone to safety."
Peter sighs in relief. He doesn't have very good memories of his time on Terra, apart from his mum, but it is still his home, and he strongly objects to aliens destroying it.
"And what about the guy?" Rocket asks.
Gamora shrugs. " In Asgard's deepest prison, I suppose." she replies.

Rocket shakes his head. "So daddy dearest's MO is to rile up angry young men and send them after stuff he wants?" he asks.
"Pretty much. He needs the Stones to free himself from the pocket dimension where he is trapped. - she replies - The people he uses to retrieve them are just toys to him. And in Ronan and his men, he found the perfect toys. He just couldn't help himself." she adds.
"Why? What made them so suitable?" Drax asks.
"They were all seasoned warriors, but still innocent, in a way. So full of honour and thirsty for justice..." Gamora says wistfully, almost with longing.
She shakes her her head. "So desperate and so angry... - she adds - They offered themselves to him, like lambs at the slaughter, in exchange for his help in their quest, and he took them. He used them, and pushed them until they became twisted shadows of what they were."
Peter watches her talk, and realizes that her eyes are shining with tears.

"He commanded them to perform services for him, to raid this place or this other, to retrieve things for him. They were duty-bound to obey, and at first he only asked for honourable services. - she explains - But then he started raising the bar, asking them to destroy settlements and kill innocents. They had pledged themselves to him and couldn't deny him. There was no honour in what they were asked to do, but they would be dishonoured if they refused. I could see them die inside, little by little..." she continues, tears streaming down her face
"It is not your fault, Gamora." Peter says, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, it is, at least partly! - she sobs, shying away from the contact and hugging herself for protection - Because I was there! I watched him turn them into hollow-hearted killers! I watched him kill them inside and I did nothing! I was there all the time! I could have stopped them! I could have helped them resist! And yet I did nothing, because I didn't care enough, because I was so used to death and destruction that it didn't mean anything to me anymore!" she wails.
There is a moment of silence.

"Were you with them when..." Drax asks timidly.
Gamora nods, sobbing to herself.
"I was there. - she confirms - We lost five officers that night, on the Dark Aster. They all committed suicide. They couldn't bear that torment any longer. I still remember their names, their faces... Aedhan, Drustan, Eoghan, Yael and Oisin. They were the youngest of the lot, barely more than cadets. Drustan was Korath's little brother. He had a massive crush on Nebula, but she never even ticked on it... They were just kids..." she narrates among sobs.
Peter wishes he could help her, that he could hold her together with his arms, but this is something that has been festering in her soul for a long time, and now it needs out. She will feel better afterwards.

"And the rest of them, those who survived, they looked dead inside. Dark Aster was a ship of the dead, that night, and I helped Thanos kill them. - Gamora continues - Ronan didn't talk to anyone for nearly a week after that, he was so broken inside that I hurt to look at him." she reveals. Peter thinks he can imagine it. If he looked then anything like he had looked in the parking lot not long before, it would have been hard to watch.
"That was Thanos' plan all along." Gamora continues relentlessly. The dam has broken and all the water must flow to the sea.
"Ronan had been too strong-willed for the Mind Stone when he first came to him... But after that village... After that, Thanos could glue him back together as he wished. He made him into a weapon and pointed him at Xandar." she concludes.

"So are you saying that Thanos mind-fucked him into the Dark Side?!" Peter asks, feeling as if an electric shock has gone through him.
Drax lifts a hand in the air like a kid with his teacher. "Star-Lord, what exactly do you mean with..." he starts to ask.
"Oh no, I am not explaining that!" Peter exclaims, backing off. He should have a care about what metaphors he uses in front of Drax.
"I wasn't going to ask about that! - Drax protests, shifting in colour under the tattoos - I wanted to know what the Dark Side is supposed to be." he clarifies.
Rocket nods in approval, so Peter spends the next five minutes giving them a very abridged version of the Star Wars saga.
"So you were referring Dark Side of one's inner self." Drax concludes at the end.
Peter blinks a couple of times. "Yeah, I think so." he concedes.
Drax nods to himself. "A true warrior knows the danger of losing oneself in his mission and becoming heartless." he declares.

"So you think that Thanos just went and made Crazy Smurf crazy? Just like that?" Rocket asks, steering clear from the Star Wars angle. Peter has the suspect that the topic will come out later, though. He will have to find a way of scavenging a copy of the VHS from somewhere.
"It's more subtle than that, Rocket." Gamora replies wearily. Now the convulsive sobs have ceased, but she looks like she has not slept in ages, so tired that her green skin has acquired a grey-ish tinge.
"Ronan was furious with the Xandarians, he wanted revenge, but he was not consumed by it. He was in control. - she explains - Thanos used the Mind Stone to bring forth his hate and stripped him of that control, letting his rage drive him, and suddenly the suggestion of destroying Xandar seemed so very appealing... What was an intimidation act became reality."

There is another long moment of silence. Peter reaches out and this time Gamora lets him hold her, burying her face into his shirt.
"I should have stopped him, but I didn't care about Xandar. - she whispers - I was used to seeing things die because of Thanos. I only cared about getting out of there with my life..."
She grabs his jacket and hugs him even closer, nearly squeezing the breath out of him.
"It's OK, Gamora... It's alright. - Peter reassures, petting her hair - We know what Thanos did to you and your sister. It's not your fault. You did what you had to survive." he says but then a voice in his head starts buzzing.
If Gamora is not to blame for the things she had done for Thanos, because she was coerced, if she can be forgiven, why should they elect themselves as judge, jury and executioner and condemn Ronan to a fate he considers worse then death? Why can't they give him a chance?
Peter lays his chin on the top of Gamora's head and casts a long look to Drax. The Destroyer sighs and nods.
"It seems that we are going to have to find a way to keep the Accuser in our custody." he rumbles.

Rocket sighs. "I don't see how it makes a difference. If the crazy blue dude is suicidal, staying in our company would not change things." he declares.
"Let's put it this way, Rocket. - Peter proposes - What if next time they put you in prison they deactivated the implants that allow you to stand and talk? You could live, but it would be an unbearable life, right?" he asks. The horrified expression on Rocket's face says it all.
"Being prisoner of the Xandarians would be almost like that for our blue friend there. - Peter continues - It will force him to live without something that makes him who he is and without hope of regaining it." he concludes.
Rocket grinds his teeth together and snarls a bit, then his shoulders slump and he hangs his head.
"Fine! - he exclaims - But I still don't like him!" he protests.
"Neither do I, my furry friend." Drax agrees, patting the raccoon's head with one of his large hands.
Peter doesn't like him either, he doubts anyone in the Galaxy likes Ronan, except maybe some die-hard Kree fanboys, but it doesn't change matters. This is about fairness, not about being friendly and cuddly.

As if on cue, the videocomm of the Milano goes off. Peter accepts the incoming call and is not very surprised to find out that the caller is none other than Nova Prime.
"Let me guess, - Peter steals the first line - you have lost Ronan."
The stern face of Nova Prime falls a little at his insight.
"How do you know?!" she exclaims in surprise.
Peter sighs. "We found him, or rather, he found us." he replies.
"Are you all in one piece?" she asks. Maybe she is genuinely worried for them, or maybe she is just very good ad pretending. Politicians, you never know.
"We are alright. Our mutual friend is a bit worse for the wear, but he'll survive." Peter volunteers.
Nova Prime sighs in evident relief. "Thanks for dealing with the situation so swiftly. - she says - I'll send the best officers in the Nova Corps to collect him as soon as possible." she declares.
Peter grimaces. There is no easy way of saying what he needs to say. She is not going to like it, but he can't chicken out now.

"I am afraid that there is a problem with that." he says.
"A problem?" Nova Prime repeats, arching an eyebrow.
"Yeah, well... it seems like we have stumbled upon a misunderstanding of cultural practices." he says, trying to muddy the waters.
Nova Prime looks at him expectantly.
Peter starts feeling heat creep along his neck. She reminds him of his primary school headmistress. He was slightly terrified of her, back then.

"I know it is nuts, but apparently, since he surrendered to us on Xandar, that would make him our prisoner, and he cannot in good conscience hand himself over to anyone else. - Peter explains, feeling like he is grasping at straws - And what's funny is that Drax's people have a similar custom, and it turns out that the only way for the deaths of his wife and daughter to be properly avenged is to have Ronan stay with us as our slave, sort of. Drax insists very much, I have to tell you." he adds lamely.
Luckily this time Drax catches on and nods vigorously. "Their spirits will not be satisfied if he doesn't make amends with his service." he confirms, dead serious.

"I am sorry, but it is not possible. - Nova Prime replies - The Nova Empire cannot be seen to lose custody of such an important prisoner. And it cannot be seen to condone cruel and unusual punishments." she explains.
"Oh, yeah? - Rocket interjects, hackles rising - And I suppose if they don't see you, everything is game..." he spits.
He has only recently been recognized as sentient by the Xandarians and doesn't have very fond memories of their treatment of him before that. Actually, neither has Peter. The Xandarians like to present themselves as cosmopolitan and tolerant, but in truth they are quite parochial and racist against anyone who is not from the Empire, Terrans included. They consider their way of living the best one and consider everyone else in the Galaxy inferior or misguided. Even of he has fought for them, Peter does not like them.

"Just what do you think we would do to him, madam? - Peter asks, rather indignant - We are not a bunch of psychos. The worst we can do is to have him clean the ship and cook. Manual labour is what tradition mandates for haaq." he clarifies.
"Well, Peter, that's cruel and unusual in itself. - Rocket interjects, giggling to himself - We haven't cleaned the Milano since we moved in. But at least it is not a Jackson Pollock any longer..."
"Thanks for sharing, Rocket!" Peter chides him. Thankfully Nova Prime cannot know what they mean with that.
The raccoon gives him a smile that uncovers his sharp, pointy teeth.

"It would be a very amusing sight, I am sure. - Nova Prime interjects coolly - But I am afraid it is still not possible. It is an important matter of image. We can't give the rest of the Galaxy the impression that we cannot keep control of our prisoners. It would give the Kree some room to wriggle away from abiding to the treaty."
"Then don't. Make it look intentional. - Gamora chimes in - Make an event of it. We are your "champions", so to speak. Formally hand Ronan over to us in accordance to the traditions of his people. Make it public. This is a Kree cultural practice, they will understand it and respect it. We will get him out of your hair, and you will maintain your façade of respect towards the traditions of other cultures. Everyone will be happy." she proposes, and a bit of energy returns to her face.
This is important for her. In a way, by doing this she is seeking atonement too.

Peter can see Nova Prime thinking about it, working the different political angles, seeing if she can truly exploit that proposal to boost Xandar's image and further demoralize the Kree.
While the Kree are so attached to their ideals to come across as utterly, cruelly inflexible, Peter suspects that for the Xandarian government the lofty ideals they always speak of are but a thin veneer to disguise their ruthless practicality.
"I might not know him a lot, - Peter chimes in trying to tip the balance - but it seems to me that our mutual friend is stubborn and resourceful enough to try again, if you take him in custody once more. And maybe next time he won't try to do the honourable thing and hand himself over." he adds giving her a knowing look.
Nova Prime grimaces. Peter sees an opening and dives in.

"Maybe next time he'll go back home. And wouldn't that upset your plans for the pacification of the Kree?" he adds feigning innocence.
"Are you implying that the Nova Corps cannot ensure the custody of that terrorist?" Nova Prime asks, nostrils flaring in outrage?
"I am saying that you might have to resort to restrictive measures and forms of coercion that might be unpopular with the public." he replies suavely.
Nova Prime gives him a hard stare. "And wouldn't you need to do the same?" she asks.
Peter shakes his head. "Nope. - he replies - He is honor-bound to stay with us. He will remain willingly. That's the beauty of it." he explains smugly.
Nova Prime is thinking hard and fast and Peter mentally encourages her, as if he could give her a nudge in the right direction.
"I think it is totally messed up, but hey! Some people in the Galaxy are that weird." he comments cheerfully, giving Drax a playful glance.
The Destroyer just shrugs. He is used to be considered weird.

"Then you guarantee that the prisoner would be kept under control in humane, decent conditions?" Nova Prime asks, raising a delicate eyebrow.
Peter looks at the others before replying, because he knows this is going to be binding and that the Xandarians are going to be after their arses if things go pear-shaped.
Drax nods, and Gamora does too, her eyes hard and shining. Rocket rolls his eyes, sighs, facepalms and bangs his head on the table, then finally nods too.
"I guess we do." Peter replies.
"Then we have a deal. - Nova Prime declares - You can keep the madman, if you are happy with it. Come back to Xandar, and bring back the items he appropriated. The PR team will work out a suitable ceremony, and once that's done we can get back to our normal business." she instructs flatly.
"Uh... Alright." Peter agrees, wrong-footed by her practicality once more. She doesn't even give him enough time to say farewell before cutting the call.

"Well, that was easier than I had imagined." Peter comments, feeling slightly light-headed from the adrenaline withdrawal and the lack of sleep.
No one seems much in the mood to celebrate. There will be time for that later.
Now the only thing Peter Quill wants is to sleep for at least twelve hours.

His own body disregards his wishes, though. Peter finds himself awake only a few hours later, and unable to go back to sleep despite the warm body of Gamora snuggled close to him in the bed and despite how tired he is.
He gets up and throws some clothes on, then pads to the holding cell.

Even if the doctor said that he would be unconscious for a lot of time, Peter is not surprised to find that Ronan is awake.
Blue eyes zero in on him, as if the Kree is trying to pry his secrets out of him just by staring at him. Even covered in bruises, spread-eagled and tied up to the wall like a character in a cheap porn, the Kree still manages to look menacing and dignified.

"Hey buddy..." Peter greets him, sliding to the padded floor of the cell, close to the prisoner, but not close enough that he can grab him. He doesn't think he would, but safety first.
"I told you that you'd make it." he adds when he obtains no response.
"You were true to your word." Ronan comments, sounding slightly surprised.
"Of course I was!" Peter replies, deeply offended.
"You could have easily let me die. It was close... - the Kree insists - If I just bled out, no one would have been able to blame you and your people. Things like that happen on battlefields. You would have been free." he says calmly.
"Sorry, bluebell, but we take our responsibilities a bit more seriously than that. - Peter declares, weirded out once more by his matter-of-fact attitude - You'd better get used to it." he adds teasingly.
Ronan's eyes widen in surprise. "You have accepted my pledge?!" he says, looking torn between hope and diffidence.
Peter nods vigorously. "The Nova have agreed to the arrangement. - he announces - You'll have it your way. I suspect you always do." he adds playfully.

The Kree relaxes so suddenly that it looks as if he has fainted in relief. He blinks rapidly, he must be nearly crying, and mutters something under his breath. It sounds suspiciously like a prayer.

"There is a catch though." Peter says. He doesn't want to break the man's good moment, but it is better to set everything straight from the start. This way he will have more time to adjust to the situation.
"What is it?" Ronan asks.
"The only way to have them agree to this was to let them make a ball of it. - Peter explains - There will be some sort of ceremony to mark your passage in our custody."
Ronan watches him in silence. His moment of weakness has passed and now his stare is as impassive as it ever was.
"We'll vet it and try to keep the humiliation to the minimum, but there is no way out of it." Peter adds, feeling oddly inadequate in his attempts to take charge of his prisoner.
"It does not matter. - Ronan declares - Let them do whatever they want. I do not care. I can take it." he adds defiantly.
He thinks he deserves it, Peter realizes. Gamora's words come back to his mind.

"Listen, bluebell..." he starts awkwardly. He doesn't know how to say it, but he cannot stand by and watch him perform self-harm by proxy because of something that is not entirely his fault.
"Gamora told us... she told us what happened." he says.
"Did she?" Ronan comments, not particularly impressed.
"Yeah... I mean, she told us about the way Thanos played you all and made you do things... - he clarifies - Don't be too hard on yourself. It is not all your fault." he adds sympathetically.
"It is instead, Terran. - Ronan retorts - He exploited our anger, twisted our honour. I was the leader. I should have seen it, I should have put an end to it. I should have been strong, and protected my men. But I was weak and desperate, instead. I let him twist us." he adds angrily. There is still a lot of anger in him, but it is mostly directed at himself.

"Thanos has the Mind Stone. He used it on you after you... after you finished with Drax's village. - Peter reveals - That is how he made you nearly destroy Xandar." he adds, but somehow he doesn't think it would help.
As expected, the Kree shakes his head.
"It does not matter. - he says - I had already reneged on the values that had guided me for my whole life, at that point. Getting what I wanted had become more important to me than acting justly." he confesses ruefully.
"I did this to myself, Star-Lord.That is the truth, and I know it." he adds after a moment of silence.
Most people try to make excuses for themselves. He does not. He is as inflexible and intransigent with himself as he is with the others. Peter cannot help admiring him at least a bit for it.

"I am sorry..." he starts, but doesn't manage to finish the sentence.
"Don't you dare pity me, Star-Lord! - Ronan growls, tensing as if he is trying to sit up - Don't you fucking dare!" he threatens.
Peter doesn't remember hearing him swear before, but now the Kree is so deeply upset that his eyes shine with tears and he is practically trembling in rage.
"I don't. - Peter says wearily, leaning back and lifting his hands to placate him - I am sorry that so many lives were ruined because of Thanos. I mourn for all. That is it." he adds.
Ronan slumps down on the bedroll again, breathing harshly.
"Leave me alone, please..." he whispers.

Peter does, he doesn't want to see the proud Kree lose it again, knowing that nothing he can say or do would comfort him.
He would be just an intruder and he doesn't fancy that. Ronan deserves at least a bit of dignity.
He pads back to his room, instead, and slips back under the covers next to Gamora, but sleep is still long in coming.