When he got back to his quarters, Yondu immediately went through the Terran's bag and dug out the Troll Doll. He was being nice, letting the kid keep it, but not anymore. Now it had a place of honour on his dresser with his potted plants and the dozen or so other bobbles he didn't have room for on his ship.

Out of curiosity, he also pulled out the listening device, cautiously put the soft orange things over his ears the way he'd seen the kid do, and started pressing buttons. The machine made various whirring noises, and at one point he thought he broke it when part of it popped open, but he was able close it back up again. No matter what he did, he couldn't make it chant like it did for Quill. Maybe it was broken?

He took the wires off his head and tucked the whole thing inside his jacket. Stations like Tau Bootis 5 always had junkers around that could fix primitive tech like it was nothing.

He left the bag in a corner and headed out. They'd be arriving soon.

When he stepped onto the bridge, Kraglin jumped to his feet and stood at attention like this was suddenly the military or something.

"Obfonteri?" Yondu said with a frown. "What the hell'r you doing?"

"Uh... nothing..." He relaxed and shifted awkwardly. "Heard you found the Terran?"

Yondu took a seat in the Captain's chair. "Yeah. He was on my Zatoan, trying to take off. If Trelzar didn't have all those safety measures in place, he probably woulda made a nice big hole in the side of the Galleon."

"Holy hell..." Kraglin paled significantly and sank into his own seat. Between underestimating the Terrans fire power during his scouting mission and this new blunder, he wouldn't be surprised if the next time he went to sleep, he never woke up.

Yondu sneered at him. "Will you stop? I'm more impressed with the boy then I'm pissed at you. No normal kid coulda pulled that shit off."

If there was one good thing about Kraglin, it was that he knew how to follow orders. All the tension was released from his shoulders as he sighed in relief. He hadn't been First Mate for very long and had no idea why Yondu would choose a young, barely educated Colony boy like him for such an important role, but he was noticing that his Captain had a weird ability to see through people. He was starting to trust that there was a reason for the decision, and that Yondu really wasn't going to kill him.

The Captain gave him a strange look - like he was trying not to smile - and nodded towards the approaching station. There were other large ships orbiting around, fuel lines tethering them to the glorified hunk of metal and rock. "They give us clearance?"

"Oh... yeah. Like an hour ago."

Yondu frowned. "What I don't understand is why a fuel refinery this close to the front ain't better defended."

Straightening his back proudly, Kraglin said, "It's a pretty small operation, not too important to the supply lines, so neither side gives much of a shit about it. Besides, Xandarian military's spread too thin as it is."

"Suppose it sees a lot of our kind, then?"

He grinned. "Hell yeah. Thieves, smugglers, mercs... just about every kind a outlaw there is."

Yondu made a soft hum in his throat. His skin was starting to crawl and as he stared at the sprawling patchwork of hewn stone, metal factories, towers and lights, he swore he felt someone staring back at him. "Best we keep on our toes," he said. "We ain't even landed yet and this place is already giving me the heebie-jeebies."

Kraglin's eyes widened at that. "Like on Knowhere?" He'd only just joined the Ravagers when that fiasco went down, and it was still the most brain-meltingly weird experience of his life.

"I told you not to mention that hell-pit," growled Yondu.

Bowing his head and shifting as far from the Centaurian as he could go without getting out of his chair, Kraglin said, "Sorry Captain..."

Yondu rolled his eyes and muttered, "Typical."

It wasn't long before the Galleon was in its approved orbit and the Ravagers could disembark, but by that time Yondu was reluctant to go with them. That creepy sensation of being watched was only getting stronger and his crest was starting to itch.

This was bad.

He'd experienced this a few times on his travels, usually right before the Universe threw some form of madness at him; living planets, Asgardian drinking parties, giant severed heads full of wrong... He figured it was his senses picking up stuff he wasn't meant to process, and he had learned to trust this odd warning system.

He'd have to ignore it right now, though. They were running on fumes, so there was no way they could go back and find a not crazy station to fuel up at. All he could do was hope whatever he was picking up wasn't interested him and his little band of outlaws.

The flight down in the Zatoan was short and he left his ship tense, and ready for a fight. Only nothing happened.

He went about bartering for fuel and running some errands without incident. There was nothing but workers (mostly refugees), and various travellers shuffling about the hot, dusty streets, but he couldn't relax. He wouldn't feel comfortable again until he was well away from this place.

He sent Kraglin off to enjoy the bars and ordered some clothes for the kid. finally, eager to get back to the Galleon, he started asking around for a reputable junker.

Soon he ducked unto a small, claustrophobic shop so thick with boxes and wires and sharp bits of metal that he could barely move without risking Tetanus. "Hello?" There was no answer so he briefly opened up his senses, his crest flashing in the gloom. There was definitely someone here, so he stepped inside. "Anybody home?" he asked with a smirk.

He moved through the maze and stopped when he honed in on whoever was lurking in here. He stared at a particularly disorganized pile until he realized he was looking at a creature who was practically made of its own junk. It was hunched over and pressed into the mess like it was trying to hide.

"What're you doing?" He asked. He wasn't getting any hostility, just a faint trace of disappointment. "You looking to jump out and go boo?"

"I was..." said a rusty, mechanical voice. A pair of organic yellow eyes blinked open and narrowed hawkishly. "Most folks do not spot me so easily."

Yondu frowned. "I ain't most folks, and that's a good way to get yourself dead real quick."

The strange creature chuckled and moved forward, clicking and whirring as she went. She was female, he realized, and not entirely metal. There was grey flesh that could be seen under all the homemade cybernetics. She was either a survivor of something horrendous, or a way out of hand mod junkie. "You ruined my fun," she said as she pushed past her customer. "So, what do you want?"

Yondu followed her and pulled Quill's device from his pocket. "This thing ain't working and I've been told you're the lady who can fix it."

It was swiped from his hand before he could react and spidery, needle sharp fingers turned it over and over. The junker passed an arm across a table, clearing it of years worth of garbage, and started dismantling the device.

Alarmed, Yondu said, "Hey! Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"This little trinket is in fine condition."

"Then why're you taking it apart?!" He moved his jacket aside to reveal his arrow and said, "I am this close to giving you an extra air hole, jackass!"

The junker wasn't phased in the least. Several tools emerged from her arms as she continued to work. "Please be calm. It is also primitive and fragile so I am making it a bit more durable." She pulled the batteries out. "These can not last for more then a couple of hours." She tossed them aside. "Where did you find this?"

She wasn't lying, and she wasn't afraid in the slightest, so Yondu backed down. The Centaurian knew when to pick his fights, and he had the feeling this wasn't one of those times. "Picked it up on Terra."

"Never heard of the place." The junker had the whole thing in pieces spread across the table before she started spraying some with a reinforced coating and swapping others out entirely. Even the head wires were given this treatment.

"It's a bit outa the way."

"That so..." She started putting the device back together and it quickly looked like it was supposed to again. "And what were you doing there?"

Yondu stiffened and snarled. "I ain't here to play question games."

"I am only trying to make conversation," she said lightly. She snapped the last few pieces in place and held out the finished device. "Here. That will be 200 Units, please."

Yondu took it, careful of those sharp fingers. He tried not to look too eager as he put the head piece over his ears and pressed some of the buttons, but... nothing. His frown deepened. "It still isn't working," he said, unimpressed. "It's supposed to make noise of some sort."

"It is perfectly functional. The problem is there is a part missing." The junker took it back and pressed a different button, causing it to pop open. "A removable cartridge is supposed to go in here."

Yondu snatched it back and closed it. "So it really wasn't broken?"

"No."

With a growl, he said, "I asked you to fix it, not mod it. All you had to do was tell me that in the first place!"

The junker had the gall to chuckle. "If I did that, I would not have made any money."

Yondu gritted his teeth. Now he really wanted to put his arrow through this woman's head.

But she continued. "It has a new energy cell that will last you a lifetime, and you would have to work quite hard to break it now. 200 Units is a good price."

Yondu sighed. The she right. That sum was nothing to him, not even worth bartering over. The only problem he had was that the job was something he didn't ask for, and really, he had to give this woman credit for playing him like that. If he didn't already have a full crew, he might have asked her to join the Ravagers. "Fine..." he said, sounding more put out then he was. He took two slates of metal from his pocket, little more then spare change, and handed them over.

The junker took them in both hands like they were precious artifacts. "Oh, excellent! Thank you very much."

Yondu snorted and left. He couldn't be happier to get out of the oppressive shop.

As he walked back to the Zatoan, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye; a brief glimpse dark armour and staring white eyes. His crest lit up and he turned, but there was nothing there.

He rolled his shoulders in an effort to ease his unnerve. He really needed to get out of here.

Sadly returning to the Galleon didn't provide Yondu much relief. He kept checking behind himself for imagined followers as he made his way through the halls.

His first stop was his quarters, where he rummaged though the Terran's bag for anything that looked like it could fit into the device. He found nothing.

He'd have to ask Quill about it. He kind of wanted to avoid the kid at the moment, but his curiosity always one of his greatest strengths... and biggest weaknesses.

He brought some food with him so it didn't look like he was there because he wanted something.

When he walked into the room, he was hit with a wave of grief and sadness. Everything was grief with this kid, like someone had just died. Then he remembered the impression of the woman he'd gotten that first night and way the boy spoke of his mother on the Zatoan...

Quill was sitting pressed into the corner opposite his bed, his knees hugged to his chest. His eyes were dry when he looked up at Yondu, but the skin around them was red. He'd been crying.

When he saw the tray of food the blue alien was holding he got to his feet and approached slowly. He was so... so hungry. He took the tray and as soon as Yondu let go of it he ran to his bed to eat with his back to the room. The food was still kind of gross, but he didn't care at this point.

He was halfway done when he noticed Yondu was still in the room, watching with his hands clasped in front of him. Swallowing, Peter took a risk and asked, "Can... can I have my Walkman back?"

Yondu tilted his head. "Walk man?"

Turning to look the alien in the eyes, Peter said, "It's a cassette player. You put it on your head and it plays music."

Suddenly comprehending, Yondu reached into his jacket and pulled out the device. "You mean this thing? It doesn't got legs."

Peter held his breath and forced himself not to rush forward and try to take it. he didn't expect to ever see it again and he had to have it back. He was doing okay before, but now, after only one day without his Walkman he was falling apart. "Its just a name... Please can I have it back? I can't hurt nobody with it, and I... I promise I won't try to run away again..."

Those pleading eyes were still on Yondu and he frowned. He could feel the kid's desperation, but really? Quill was willing to bargain his freedom for this thing? "Why does it mean that much to you?"

Peter swallowed. Could he really tell this guy... his kidnapper? Maybe Yondu would feel bad and give it to him if he did. "My Mom... she used to share with me all the music she loved when she was young. That's... that's all I got left."

So Yondo was right. The boy's mother was dead. It was sad, certainly, but everybody looses people and Yondu wasn't about to go soft over some sob story. Still, the 'no running away' deal intrigued him. Would Quill keep his word?

"It plays music?" Yondu asked. "When I tried it, it didn't do anything."

"That's because..." Peter stopped. He shouldn't give away everything.

Yondu smirked. The kid was learning. "Tell you what," he said. "You show me how this Walk man works, and swear you won't run again or cause any trouble. I'll let you keep it."

Peter was silent as he came to his decision. The situation didn't look so scary anymore, and even if he never saw Earth or his family again, as long as he had his Mom's music, he'd be alright. He got up, went over to the alien with purpose, and held out his hand. "Okay."

Yondu stared at him. The kid had done this before, holding out his hand all weird like he wasn't trying to take anything or give anything. Mutual trust and respect, huh? The Centaurian grinned as his blue hand enveloped the small pink one and gave it a shake. Good thing Quill couldn't read him. There was nothing mutual about it.

He handed over the Walkman and Peter hugged it to his chest for a moment, battling tears.

Finally Yondu cleared his throat.

Peter dug his Awesome Mix Volume #1 from his pants pocket. He had put it there during his little 'adventure' partially for good luck, and partially to keep himself from being tempted to listen to it while he was trying to escape. It was lucky in the end, since Yondu took his bag. This was the one thing he couldn't replace.

He popped open the Walkman and slid in the cassette, then closed it and handed Yondu the headphones. "Put those over your ears."

Yondu quirked an eyebrow and, but did as he was told.

When Peter pressed play, whatever he expected to happen flew out the window as the alien made an impossible, inhuman sound halfway between a screech and a roar. His face was twisted in pain and he wrenched the blaring headphones from his head.

Yondu recovered quickly and yelled, "You trying to deafen me, boy!"

The kid was mortified. "I'm sorry!" he cried. "It musta got turned all the way up! I didn't know! Honest!"

Yondu wasn't listening as he moved away and massaged his ringing ears, but Peter followed him and kept talking. "I'm sorry. I'm real sorry. Are... are you okay?"

The Centaurian calmed down once he realized that Quill was sincerely concerned. He didn't lie when he said he hadn't meant to do that. "I'm fine," he said as he readjusted his jacket.

Peter sighed in relief and fiddled with the Walkman, rolling a piece under his thumb. "Here." He held the headphones out again, but Yondu backed away and glared at them suspiciously. "It's ok," he said. "I turned it way down so it won't hurt you this time."

Yondu exhaled from his nose and snatched up the wires. He wasn't going to look like a coward in front of a kid.

But before he could put them back over his ears, the ground shifted beneath him and he nearly lost his footing. The very walls of the ship made a low moan, but it stopped after a second.

"What was that?" asked Peter.

Yondu handed the headphones back and hailed the bridge. "Nav?"

"Something's firing on us, Captain," said the navigator. "Oh shit!"

"What?!"

The man's eyes were wide and frightened on the com-screen as he and the pilot frantically worked the controls of the Galleon. "One of the other ships just exploded! Hold on! I'm trying to get a visual."

The ship shook a second time. Peter, now terrified, stumbled over to Yondu and clung to his jacket. The Centaurian looked down at him for a moment, but didn't say anything and didn't push him off.

"I see it!" Yondu's eyes snapped up to the com where Nav had gone pale. "That's a... that's Kree warship! Why is there a Kree warship here?!"

"Never mind that!" yelled the Captain. "Get out of its line of fire!"

He was nearly flung on his face as the ship screamed and thrashed around him. He could barely hear Nav yelling, "All systems are down! The station's gravity is pulling us in!" The line turned to static and cut out.

The ship was in free fall. Yondu could feel it. On instinct he wrapped his arms around Quill, went down on one knee, and braced himself against the wall. The impact hit hard and the lights flickered out.

In that moment, Yondu was sure this was how he was going to die; helplessly trapped in a crashing ship in a hail of darkness, chaos, and noise.

His last thought was at least he wasn't going out alone.