Title is from 'Life as a Salesman' by Yellowcard. It's a song about fathers and thought it fit the changing relationship between Yondu and Peter.

Sorry this chapter was a bit late, and just to be honest, I'm not sure if I'll have the next one up on time. I'll be at FanimeCon next week and don't know if I'll have any time to write. Also, this week is mostly being used to prep, pack, and finish some cosplay stuff.

I own nothing, story and characters belong to Marvel.

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Chapter 4: Life as a Salesman

Saal didn't have time to see them right away. The lunch hour had come and passed, and it was nearing what might have been an early dinner time when Dey finally made another appearance. Peter had been so excited at the prospect of getting Mantis back that he could hardly sit still and his antsy pacing had quickly got on the nerves of his room mates and seen him confined to the top bunk over Cosmo's. He was reclined on the bed with his headphones on, working over his pitch in his head when the sound of someone knocking on the door caught his attention.

"I got it!" Peter called, swinging down from his bed and rushing over to the door before the other's could get up.

When the door slid open, Dey was standing outside in full uniform.

"Hi." He greeted the room with that awkward smile that Peter thought was growing a little warmer every time. "The Nova Prime and Council will see you now, as soon as you're ready."

"Yes, awesome." A broad grin split Peter's face. "Let's go!"

-x-

While they had been waiting for news Peter had explained the basics of his plan to Drax and Groot, and they had agreed to join him to support his request. Apparently, after everything else that had happened these past couple weeks, finding out Peter was half Celestial and that they were off to visit his father wasn't that big of a stretch. Or maybe they were humoring his new level of supposed insanity.

Honestly, Drax's ready acceptance of this new claim worried Peter just a little bit. He'd been very quiet since the battle, and Peter was suspicious it had something to do with being very soundly beaten by Ronan and failing to achieve his revenge. Peter tried not to worry about it too much, which was almost too easy with all the other things occupying his mind right now. One way or another, Drax would get his revenge in the end. He'd come around on his own soon enough.

"They're just getting out of their last meeting so it'll be a minute or two," Dey apologized as they stood in the hallway outside of the door to the room Peter's hearing had been held in that morning.

"Yeah, no problem," Peter said, but he couldn't help the way he bounced on his heels in anticipation. The wait was as short as promised, and that was a blessing as his fidgeting was clearly getting on Drax's nerves again. He was only saved from what would have been either a hard slap or a stinging rebuke by the sound of the door finally opening and several Nova Corpsmen that Peter didn't recognize spilling out, still heavy in conversation with each other. When the small stream came to an end, Peter trotted inside, not waiting for Dey to announce their presence.

"Yondu!?" Peter shouted when he saw his old captain leaning with his hands on the raised desk, looking deep in conversation with Saal.

Kraglin was standing at Yondu's side and answered first.

"Pete'! What are you doing here?" Kraglin broke off from Yondu to greet Peter while Yondu seemed to be wrapping up his conversation quickly.

"We had a request to make. It couldn't wait."

"What kind of request?" Kraglin asked.

Peter opened his mouth to respond when he caught sight of Yondu coming over to join them.

"Actually, it might be best if you guys stuck around and listened as well," he said. It would be obvious to Yondu soon enough that Peter was much more aware than he should be about his father. He might as well admit to it now, and hopefully Yondu could even provide some backup to his claims if needed.

By the time greetings had been exchanged, Saal had finished whatever he had been doing and Dey indicated some chairs for them to pull out and arrange as they pleased.

"So, Star-lord," Saal began, resting his chin lightly on a shelf of his folded hands as he stared down at the group from behind the polished desk. Peter thought he looked a bit tired, and hoped that wasn't going to work against them. "What is this important request of yours?"

"The truth is, I didn't give you the whole story this morning," Peter started, sitting up as straight as he could manage and keeping his voice clear and level. "I wasn't trying to hide anything, it just didn't seem important for what you wanted to know, but it is now. I'm still missing a teammate, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. She's an empath named Mantis, and while I know where she is, I think I'll need some help retrieving her. My request is your help in doing that. In exchange, I can provide proof of my heritage. Proof that I can use the Infinity Stone, and maybe even more."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Because she's with my father, a Celestial. If you promise to help me retrieve Mantis, I can give the the co-ordinates of his planet and you can see for yourself that they're not all dead." Peter resisted adding that he kind of wished they were.

"And why didn't we hear about this convenient proof of yours earlier?" Saal asked, his eyes narrowed in obvious suspicion.

"Because..." Peter couldn't help the glance at Yondu. "It didn't end so well the last time I went there. I don't know how it's going to go now, so I'd rather not go in without some backup. I think this could work out for both of us, and..." Peter took a deep breath and steadied himself. "For someone who claims they want my help in the future, you haven't done anything so far to earn it."

To Saal's credit, he neither balked nor shouted at Peter's sudden challenge. Instead, a cold thoughtful expression crossed his face, like he was seeing Peter for the first time.

"If it wasn't for the Nova Corps' intervention you and your crew would be deceased or under the hand of Thanos as we speak," Saal reminded him coolly.

"And I'm grateful for that, but you were paying off an existing debt. The way I see it, I owe you nothing the way it stands now."

Saal's eyes narrowed further, the corners of his mouth pinching in a tight frown.

"Look, I'm not a complete dick, and I do want to help you. I had friends on Xandar. I knew a lot of the Nova Corps personally, and I want to go home. Unfortunately, the only way back is through Thanos, and we'd all have a much better shot at doing that together. Nebula and Gamora know more about Thanos's army than any spy network could ever hope to learn, and you have them locked up. You keep talking like you expect me to pick up that stone and fight for you, but all you've done is imprison my friends and threaten them. If you really want my help, this needs to end."

"And if I refuse?" Saal asked. "If I remind you that if you feel you need persuading, there may be ways that are far less pleasant, for you or your friends?"

Peter didn't honestly think Saal had it in him to follow through with that threat, more likely, he was testing out how easily Peter could be intimidated. But Peter had learned long ago that people could do surprising things when they were desperate, and the last remains of the Nova Corps were definitely desperate.

"Then I think you'll find two galaxy class assassins, a maniac, a collosus, and a raccoon that had escaped twenty-two prisons by the time I met him, are a lot harder to handle when they stop cooperating. And I can be quite the pain in the ass, too. I can't make you any promises about wielding the stone for you yet, but I can promise you this; If any harm comes to my friends, you will regret it."

From the corner of his eye, Peter could see a smug smile gracing Yondu's face. The Ravager captain was clearly enjoying the show. Before, Peter might have thought he was simply laughing at Saal's expense or reveling in the fact that a ravager was back-talking a Nova Officer. Now, Peter thought he recognized the same glint of pride that had been there when Peter had first learned to shoot.

In the pause that followed Peter's proclamation, Saal had been studying Peter with stone-faced silence. Peter didn't think he looked like he was going to start ordering executions right then and there, but he definitely didn't look happy. Slowly, his eyes slid away from Peter, sweeping across the room to include the rest of the assembly. It wouldn't be lost to him that Peter's allies included more than just the motley crew on-deck. If it came down to it, the entire Ravager fleet and the guards of Knowhere might side against the Nova Corps, and Peter didn't think those were the kinds of bridges the crippled fleet could afford to burn right now. A smile was warring with Peter's face as he felt himself taking some power back, but he fought it down. Now wasn't the time to push the Nova Prime any further.

When the silence had stretched on for so long that Peter's palms were beginning to sweat and he was growing more and more certain that he had made a mistake after all, Saal finally leaned back in his seat, a layer of tension seeming to melt from his frame, replaced with what Peter hoped was resignation.

"I think you have raised a few interesting points." His tone was flat and impossible to read. "I will consider your proposal, and bring it up with the Upper Council for discussion. For now, why don't you and your friend's go have dinner."

The pretty words did little to change the fact that they were being kicked out. It wasn't the first time Peter had been kicked out of a court of some sort, but this may have been the most grace he'd ever managed to do it with. He stood and walked with a deliberate lack of hurry towards the exit.

"Thank you for your time," he added before stepping out into the hallway. It hadn't been a complete success, but Peter couldn't help feeling that he had managed to some how raise himself in Saal's estimation. Hopefully the new Nova Prime would start to deal with him as a person now, and not some rescued invalid or handy weapon to be used.

-x-

"You always had a mouth on ya, boy, but it's good t'finally see you grow a pair!" Yondu laughed over their dinner trays. The captain had been in an uproarious mood since leaving the meeting. His loud laughter was drawing the attention of some of the Nova crewmen taking their meals in the cafeteria at the same time.

Peter was picking at his own meal. Pushing the bits around more than actually eating.

"Yeah, well, hopefully I didn't piss him off enough to take it out on all of us."

"You damaged his pride and undermined his authority," Yondu told him. "He'll have to do somethin' to regain the pride you pissed all over, but none a'those stuffy Upper Council members were present, and those two soldiers that have been playing babysitter for you are too loyal to be swayed over something like this. So whatever he does, he won't want to make a big show of it, or someone might start askin' questions about something he'd rather keep quiet."

It was weird having Yondu talk so openly to him about politics as a leader, and Peter wondered if he had inadvertently earned some respect in Yondu's eyes as well.

"Now why don't you tell me the whole story about you meetin' your dad?" The humor evaporated from Yondu's face like mist under a hot sun.

"It's a long story," Peter warned, giving up all pretense of feigning interested in his meal, "and you're not going to like it."

"Quit stallin' boy."

Peter resisted the first retort to rise to his lips. Whatever esteem he'd just managed to gain wasn't worth losing over acting like a child just because he was uncomfortable with what he had to say. So without further ado, he launched into the tale. He was still unclear about some of the details of what happened on the Eclector and between his teammates when he was busy being hooked up to the light, but he gave the best report he could. Nobody asked any questions, and Yondu's face remained thoughtful and impassive even as Peter described the mutiny and his own death. At his side, Kraglin was growing more alarmed with every twist the tale took, and by the end was visibly struggling not to squirm in his seat.

"So..." Yondu was the first to break the silence after Peter's story had wound to an end. His voice was steady despite the incriminating wetness that had formed in his eyes at the description of the Ravager funeral and the colors of Ogord. "This Nebula bitch actually managed to take me out and usurp my whole ship, huh?"

Peter froze in his seat, suddenly realizing that he may have just damned his friend in the eyes of one of the very few people in the entire universe who may have been inclined to help her.

Yondu let out a burst of laughter so loud and sudden Kraglin actually startled at his side.

"I knew there was somethin' about her I liked!" The captain howled, slamming one hand on the table for emphasis. Kraglin's eyebrows had raised so high, they were beginning to vanish into his hairline again. "She's got guts, I'll give 'er that. No wonder you've been so full of it lately! She's a good influence on you, boy."

Kraglin was staring at his captain sideways with a mixture of worry and something a touch sadder. He looked about as much at a loss for words as Peter was feeling. Yondu was obviously zeroing in on that part of the story to avoid a discussion of his own death and subsequent funeral. Well, Peter had expected as much, and could let Yondu keep his pride. He followed his ex-captain's lead and moved on to another subject.

"Yeah, well. Ego may have died in my universe, but here he's apparently alive and well, and the chances are very good that he'll remember us killing him. I'm not too keen on my odds at getting Mantis back, but I can't just leave her there."

"You always were a bleedin' heart," Yondu huffed, the laughter dying back to just a humorous glint in his eyes. "Never could beat that outta you. It sounds like this Mantis was doing just fine 'fore you came along. Who's t'say she won't be fine now? She won't remember any of that nonsense from before, so for all you know she's carrying on content as she ever was."

Peter stirred his food again and let them lapse back into silence. It wasn't like he hadn't considered that possibility. After all, hadn't she referred to herself as 'a flea with a purpose' when questioned about her presence on Ego's planet. So far, hope hadn't bought him much in this new universe except disappointment and betrayal, so he wasn't holding his breath. He was already worried that he might be overly optimistic in the thought of finding her alive at all.

"Are you wantin' us to help you when the time comes?" Kraglin broke the silence of Peter's thoughts. His words were bold and steady, but a darting glance at his captain gave away the fear that Peter felt mirrored in his own heart.

"No. At least, not at first. I think having you around might make him even angrier, and I'm hoping to delay fighting until I at least know if Mantis is alive. I just have no clue how to find that out without walking straight into a trap."

Drax surprised him here by clearing his throat and speaking for the first time since before the meeting.

"Perhaps it is time to consult the rest of our team. If it is sneaking and trickery you want, then the assassins would be better equipped to help you plan."

That wasn't a bad idea at all. And Peter would like the excuse to check back in on Rocket while he was at it. It had only been about half a cycle since he'd seen him last, but the day's events made it feel indefinitely longer. He echoed these thoughts to his friends and found they were all in some sort of agreement that this would be the best course of action. Kraglin and Yondu again decided to split. Apparently, the meeting Peter had cut short was some sort of negotiation about the Ravagers smuggling supplies to the Nova Corps who were finding it increasingly difficult to lay low as Thanos's forces spread his influence and control. Now the Captain and first mate needed to go work out the best routes and consult their own supply lines and contacts.

That just left the issue of finding an escort as per his deal with the Nova Council. Having to ask permission and have a chaperon just to see his friends was frustrating, but maybe seeing for themselves how helpful Gamora and Nebula -and maybe Rocket, though Peter didn't get his hopes too high- were, it would help their case. So Peter rose and carried his tray to the proper receptacle, watching the faces and movements of the Nova Crewmen from the corners of his eyes as he passed. When he located one that seemed to be both interested and friendly, Peter paused by his side on his way back to his seat.

"Hey there," Peter greeted him – a fair-skinned youth with a face that looked too innocent to be the survivor of a genocide, and a smattering of pale freckles across the bridge of his nose- with his best, most charming smile. "If I wanted to get a message to Dey or Marlowe, how would I go about doing that?"

The message network here turned out to be pretty archaic. Other than ship-wide alerts and emergencies, most messages were carried by foot. Fortunately, Corpsman Faodail was more than willing to help them. The Corpsman led them down the hallways to Marlowe's office with such enthusiastic energy that Peter found himself struggling to force his battered body to keep up and hardly had breath to answer the myriad of questions he was assaulted with.

Peter didn't think any of his report was precisely classified information – Marlowe and Dey had both talked like the crew already knew most of it – so he did his best to answer honestly. Cosmo quickly took pity on him and began to answer the questions he could and soon enough Faodail was peppering the psychic dog with his seemingly endless questions instead.

Marlowe's office turned out to be empty. Peter wasn't too surprised, she was probably still busy with Saal and the Council, going over Peter's request, he hoped, but Faodail had been so distraught at having brought them all this way to end in his perceived failure that it took some time to reassure him that no one was upset. They just left a note in common with their request, and for Marlowe or Dey to come find them whenever they were free, and headed back to their barracks.

Faodail offered to show them to one of the recreation or common rooms, but it was getting on to night cycle, and Peter was tired. Neither his mind nor his body could really handle the energy it would take to socialize with strangers right now.

Faodail accepted this refusal with surprising grace, and Peter was suspicious he was just as happy to go back to his friends and share his new gossip before they could ask Peter or his companions themselves. Peter didn't begrudge him this, he remembered how exciting news of any sort could be when your world was confined to a single ship and crew, especially one that was in hiding and must have minimal contact with outside individuals.

End

Chapter 5 Preview: "...What time is it?" Peter asked, stalling for time as his brain struggled to follow his body into the waking world.

"Breakfast time!" she answered brightly.

"No thanks. I'll just get something from the mess later." Peter was reaching for the panel to close the door in her face when she held a hand across the way to stall him..."

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This is, by far, the shortest chapter yet. About 3.5k, when they usually run 4-7k. I considered including the first section of the next chapter, but it just didn't flow right, and I realized I was only doing to keep the word count even, which was the wrong reason. This first Nova section is running a bit longer than I thought it would, but I tend to estimate the chapters and story-lines a lot shorter than they turn out to be, so I guess this shouldn't be a surprise to me.

I imagine Yondu is the kind of person who would respect Nebula's prowess rather than hold it against her. Especially because he knows that at the moment he has nothing to fear from her, and he already considered her a dangerous individual of unknown loyalties, so there's no real sense of betrayal or fear. In his life, I'd imagine he's had many experiences with friends today becoming enemies tomorrow and vis versa, and learned to appreciate the strength of his enemies as much as his allies. If anything, I think this may have raised her a bit in his eyes. It might have served as a warning to watch her more carefully, but he already was.

'Faodail' means a pleasant surprise.

I had something else to say, but I'm exhausted and don't remember it, so thank you all for continuing to read!

-OMaM