Chapter Nineteen

Several minutes earlier

All Kraglin could do was clench and unclench his hands until his knuckles were white as in a secluded part of the ship. Kraglin, waited for Aleta to say something, and all the anger he felt from all the years came rushing back, until finally she cleared her throat.

"I told Peter everything about Regellen and Hoag, after I…".

"Gave the order to abandon them, to abandon me? God no wonder he hates you now, you deserve it".

"You have a right to hate me, Kraglin and so does your family", Aleta said slowly trying to figure out the words whilst Kraglin rolled his eyes.

"Hate you, right, leaving them behind, leaving me behind. Giving the order, stripping the rooms, pretending we never existed.

I know what you said to Yondu, he told me everything, everything you said and did. Now here I am, first mate, in the same position as you, my god, I bet that makes you sick".

Kraglin spat the last words whilst Aleta knowing his words had so much truth to them, just tried to explain. "I didn't know what I did now. If I did, I would have never"

"And I don't believe you, how can I, you sent the message telling him I was weak, I saw in his files, made me a target for Riddhi, that I was soft and pathetic. You made me his mark from the moment I stepped on the Elector. How could you do that, how, tell me. Come on tell me".

"I didn't know", can her weak but tense reply, but Kraglin wasn't fooled for a second "Oh you knew, you knew something, an independent, independent for a reason, you fucked me over, twice.

And Yondu, you always hated him from the moment he stepped on the ship, even I could see it. What was it about him, that bothered you so much?

Yondu was a liberated slave, taking freedom for the first time, he was scared and confused and you made it harder for him. Hell, I know him internally and then some, I married him after all.

Yondu's a good man, a decent loyal man, even if he acts like a hard fucker, and he did that for me you know. Made no big deal about it, but remained an Independent for me, didn't want others to know, and protected me even, but that's the man he is. But you never saw that".

Kraglin shook his head, with a note of bitterness and regret in his voice. "There was so much you didn't see, not even Riddhi, and he raped me Aleta, and there is one thing I can still remember it, still have my moments.

The anniversary of Yondu becoming Captain, is just bittersweet for me, because of how and why it happened. Of all the shit I deserve in life, I never deserved that not from him and not from you, which is why I need to know why.

Why would you do that to us, me, to Regellen and Hoag, what was it about us that you hated? Come on tell me, tell me". Kraglin demanded whilst Aleta her perfect face flushed, finally confessed everything.

"I hated the pair of them, always flaunting their relationship, making demands, wanting to be married, as if they had the right". There was such a cold edge to her voice, then even surprised Kraglin, but she continued.

"You had no idea what it was like Kraglin every time I saw them, they were practically screwing each other on the deck", to which Kraglin counted with "That's a bloody lie, I saw them, no different from you, just held hands more". To which Aleta fell silent for a second, exhaled then started again, her tone more truthful.

"I was a new First Mate, the Clans promoted me, not Stakar, but everyone…others said it was because I was his partner because I was screwing him. You have no idea how that made me feel like I was nothing. I felt like my orders were not listened to, the smirks the comments, and I let it get to me".

Aleta took a deep breath, "I had to be stronger than that, I had to prove otherwise, make everyone listen to me, obey me as their First Mate, and you must know how that feels".

If Aleta was looking for sympathy from Kraglin; wit was no existed as the Xandarian uncrossed his arms and said in a flat tone "I wouldn't know, our Clan, choose me and Yondu, we were always their choice…and fucked if I know why, but that's how it was".

Not new information, but Kraglin felt a bit smug with saying that even with Aleta unloading years of what she had held tight to her chest, she digested this information and finally continued.

"And then came Regellen and Hoag, I couldn't even show affection to my husband, in case I was undermined and here they were, flaunting their relationship, showing it off, being affectionate, and then they wanted our permission to get married.

Two nobody Ravagers just wanted the same rights as the rest of us, rights we had spent years working to have. And they thought they were equal, and then they disobeyed us and got married anyway".

"And why not?" Kraglin cut in, already sick of every word coming out of her mouth that he had waited years to hear. "Regellen and Hoag were happy, they were leaving the Ravagers, you didn't have to do that to us, to me.

Did you forget I was involved in all of this" Kraglin took a step forward, "Don't you think, that your action sending us to that madman hasn't impacted both Yondu and me, your cold hard callous betrayal?

After what I went through with the Kree, to be raped by a Ravager Captain, you sent me to, think that was easy to get over. Yondu and I, that messed us up so badly, it took years to get together, and now I hear your pathetic excuses. Regellen and Hoag, died, because of you, tell me the reason…come on tell me".

The words seemed to have an impact and make a chink in Aleta's armour, and to both their surprises, all she came out in a shaky honest breath, was.

"Because I was jealous".

There was a moment of silence, and Kraglin just stared at her, digesting this information. To her credit, without her usual stuck-up bitchiness, Aleta looked well more Xandarian, than she ever had.

"I couldn't even have a moment of affection for my husbands, and there they were, happy, being everything I couldn't be, and yes, I could have let them go, but I hated them. Hated them for being so happy, hating them for flaunting this.

I never…you were never meant to come back Kraglin, you were just there, lost in the field and then you both came back and what you did to me, my reputation. After word got around that I sent the three of you to your death, actually got some respect. My reparation…a hard ass bitch, that's what I'm known for, can't let that fall apart now can I".

Kraglin being Independent, had a loose idea of that, but this was the reason, all they had suffered for was because of her reputation…

"Fuck you" Kraglin finally said, turning on his heel and going to find his husband,

With their conversation concluded, in a mixture of ways, both Yondu and Staker watched the loves of their lives coming in, Kraglin first followed by Aleta.

Kraglin wasted no time in recanting this story to his, and her husband, who just listened, with Yondu showing his displeasure, at every sentence. But he did notice that Aleta looked suitably chastised and humiliated by all of this, and was standing close to her husband, who didn't look at her.

"So that's the reason, everything we went through, was because of her and her asshole of a husband who was apparently too scared to stand up for me. I haven't had pussy in years but yours must be magical, if you can persuade him like that".

Kraglin stated, with pure venom, and finally, it was Aleta, who spoke up "I'm not the same person I was, the same as all of you us, if I could do anything I would take it back, do things differently, and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry what you went through, I'm sorry about the death of Regellen and Hoag, I'm, sorry for who I was back then. And I won't ask for forgiveness, because I know you never will".

There was a plead in Aleta's voice and all both Yondu, and Kraglin had to do. Would accept, but as a short chime on Yondu's communication came through, with only, two words, "He agreed", which he showed to Kraglin and the pair smirked in unison.

"No, we will never forgive you, both, you put us through hell, and you owe us two things, two things you can't deny". Yondu stated to which Staker to his credit looked obligating.

"First, we want the ashes of Regellen and Hoag. Want to give them the funeral, they never had and wanted".

In return, Stakar went ashen as he explained they had been looking for them, but were unable to locate them, to which both of the Udonta's felt their faces impassive until Yondu replayed coldly.

"That doesn't surprise me, been looking for the treasure of Riddhi for years, many places to lose important things like that, but then there is the second"

And this time it was Aleta who spoke up "And what might that be?" and in return, Yondu and Kraglin just gave a twisted grin in perfect symmetry.

To be continued

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