[IC] Gaurdians of the Galaxy; An Old Friend |Jones Sparrow & EasilyAmused|

[EasilyAmused]

The crowd of people began to storm heading towards the living quarters and others away. Nikki chose to follow the smaller group, knowing full well that the larger group was going after the yell of ‘I AM GROOT’ and smacking noises which sounded like bodies being slammed against a wall. Gamora must have made it to the others before the guards and told them that things were getting hairy and they had to leave.

Following the smaller group, she lost them in the hallways, then she heard the sound of a gravitational field activate and a lot of smacking bodies and tumbling to the ground. Her feet picked up speed as she took off in their direction of the noise, only stopping for a moment to grab a large ‘display’ blade off the wall. It was heavier than she was used to but that useable. Making her way down the hallway, she came up behind some guards who were heading in the same direction. The hilt of the sword raised and she smacked each of them in the head knocking them and jumping over them to continue on.

Why didn’t she just kill them? Simple, she didn’t want to disrespect Quill’s heritage. Her head was pounding thanks to the hilt from the captain but she didn’t care. She needed to get to Quill and pronto.

The bellow of pain caught her attention and she kicked open the door to the room he was in and hurried inside. The men were in a ball, struggling to get off the ground and the pull was even so strong her blue hair was getting pulled in its direction. But she looked over to see that his father was out like a light on the floor and Quill was holding his forehead. Her breathing was heavy but she was thankful to see that Peter was okay. “You look like you need a pain reliever. That makes two of us.” She said with a nod rubbing the side of her head, her head was still pounding but she didn’t care, giving him a gentle smile she spoke again. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Before much less could be said, the sound of footsteps of a troop of guards were obviously coming down the hallway. Jumping forward, Nikki shoved the door shut and used her blade to latch the door shut. Keeping herself away from the gravitational pull and went onto the balcony. Looking over the edge, it was quite a ways down but she didn’t really see much of an option. Turning around she leaned against the railing, giving him a smile. “Can you climb? It looks like we’ll need to climb down. And Gamora’s getting everyone else, don’t worry. They’ll probably head straight outside.”

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to the voice that suddenly came out of nowhere. He was more than grateful to see Nikki staring at him. So happy, that he couldn't get the dumb smile off his face. She barricaded the door, and before he could ask if everyone else was alright, he heard the mighty "I! AM! GROOOOOT!" Coming from somewhere in the castle, and explosion/laugh combo that could only belong to Rocket. Peter followed after Nikki towards the balcony. He looked down at the floor far down below, and then he looked at her. "Climbings not a problem... falling to my death is something i'm not comfortable with." Peter muttered, looking over at her.

He then realized that she was pretty badly beaten up, more than him. Turns out they were much nicer to him than their sworn enemy. He looked back down at the ground, then at her. He jumped on top of the railing, and looked down at her. "I have a plan. Its a very very very... very stupid one, but its better than scaling down a building with them having free target practice." Peter offered his hand to her. "Take my hand."

"Take my hand, Peter... Peter..." His mother's voice rang in his ears. He looked over at his unconscious dad, then back at her. Yeah, he chose her, and his friends, over the chance of being apart of a real family. And he wasn't regretting a second of it. Once she took his hand he wrapped an arm around her waist, then looked at her. "Look, I know I'm very far, and might get a smack after this, but if I'm going to die, why the hell not?" With that he planted a kiss on her lips, a short, but tender one. He pulled away, used his free hand to press the button behind his ear, and his helmet came back on.

"Hold on really tight, alright? We're going to jump on three!"

"One! Two..... THREE!" Peter leapt off the side of the balcony with Nikki, falling for what felt like forever, but was a very quick few seconds. His visor told him how long he had before they reached the bottom, and he just prayed his rocket boots were still working. Just before they hit the ground, Peter activated his rocket boosters on his boots at full force, knowing that the boots couldn't carry their combined weight, but it would suspend them for a second or two to break their fall. And it did just that before giving out, and leaving them falling now only a couple feet. The landed hard on the ground just outside the castle, on the red carpet that was still rolled out.

[EasilyAmused]

Staring downward she felt her stomach turn into a knot. She did not enjoy the idea of climbing down and becoming target practice like Quill had muttered under his breath. Her blue eyebrows pushed together in thought as she tried to decide the best route to take. Though it became apparent that Peter had some form of idea and it involved jumping onto the railing.

She stared up at him in disbelief but when he offered her his hand she couldn’t help but take it and join him up on the rail. Oh this wasn’t a good idea… her attention was looking downward as he spoke about how he might day and why the hell not. That statement was enough to draw her attention up to him only to have him press his lips against hers in a swift move but tender at the same time, as if there was some form of hidden meaning behind it… or she was imagining things and he wanted to get one more feeling of affection in case they day. Could she blame him? Not really, no.

Her whole mind was in a daze for moment before she realized he said the word ‘jump’ and ‘ three’. By the time he was shouting three she was finally back to focus and she attempted to argue but he wrapped his arms around her with his helmet on and they jumped. Wrapping her arms around his torso, she pressed her face into his chest in worry as they tumbled to the ground. At the least second, she felt his boots kicked in that shot them up from the ground for a moment before it kicked off and they feel the rest of the way, the few feet wasn’t anything compared to the amount they should have impacted upon.

Nikki sat up holding her head. Looking over him she reached over, giving him a smack on the arm. “That was a very stupid stupid idea! You could have turned us into lawn ordainments!” Her voice was half shouting and half playful before she climbed to her feet. “Come on we’ve got to get going.” She said pulling him off of the ground and starting down the red carpet at a sprint, the door behind them blasted open behind them and soon Gamora was in step with Nikki. “You alright?”

“Better than you.” Gamora responded with a laugh.

“Oooohhh I doubt that.” Nikki responded with a grin, “I doubt that very much. “ The group scrambled up the loading and unloading dock and into the ship.

“Quill we’ve got to go.” Gamora shouted as if Quill wasn’t going to the cockpit. She began to pull up the loading dock as everyone was inside and Nikki followed Rocket who led the way to some mounted guns on the ship while Quill took to the cockpit. Sitting up in one of the pods she put a receiver on her head. “Gun one locked and loaded.” She announced into the microphone to have Rocket respond. “Gun two locked and loaded, let’s get out of here Quill.”

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter was still in half a daze. He was dazed that he kissed Nikki (he didn't know much about the rivalry between their two races, but his dad gave him some sort of idea), his very stupid plan worked, and that he was very much alive. He came back to reality when he got smacked on the arm, reaching up to dissolve his helmet. He looked up at her and gave a nod. "yep. Yep, definitely deserved that." Peter said with a small smile, getting up, and running for the Milano. Soon enough the door burst open. Peter looked over behind his back to see Drax easily slicing through two guards as Groot picked up Rocket and put him on his shoulders. As Gamora and Nikki talked, Drax and Rocket ran next to them. "Some family reunion!" Rocket yelled.

"I am surprised you didn't turn on us!"

"What?"

"Yeah, i mean, being the prince of the freakin' Spartois and having an army at your disposal is a sweet gig!"

"Okay, I'm offended that you guys would think I would let you die, and we will have a huge meeting on trust issues again!"

They all made it to the Milano, Peter and Rocket shooting at the enemy guards as the doors slowly opened, and as soon as they did, everyone went in to battle stations like they've done a million times before. Drax had a mounted plasma cannon strapped to his chest as he stood on the hangar door, Rocket and Nikki took to the mounted guns, and Peter and Gamora were in the cockpit. Everyone was yelling at him to move, and for them to get out of there, but he remembered what his father told him. This wasn't a horrible race of people. He looked at Gamora. "Patch me in to the castle intercom." Peter said.

"What?"

"Just do it!"

She hesitated, but obeyed, getting to work on a computer, strapping herself in to a seat as the Milano lifted off the ground. "People of Spartax, my name is Peter Quill." Peter said, his voice echoing to every house within range. "My father, J'son of Spartax isn't who he says he is. He's a murderer, a betrayer of your ways. He threatened to take down anyone who opposed him, including the council. Coming from the newly appointed prince, i know it isn't saying much... I'd like to believe my father is a good man." He looked out of the window of the cockpit to see his father staring at him at the opened castle doors, staring at him, Peter held back a fit of angry tears. "But he's a coward. Star-Lord out. Good luck."

Peter disconnected the call, and lifted the Milano higher out of the atmosphere. The hangar door started to close as Drax backed back in to the ship, and as they started to leave the planet, it seemed that no one was pursuing them. He hoped that the Spartois stopped his father and his rebellious followers. Peter leaned back in the pilot seat after going in to turbo speed, not really knowing how to feel about their little encounter.

"Quill--" Gamora began, but Peter got up and turned to her, giving a weak smile. "There's a reason a kids an orphan, right? Either their parents were great and died too young, or they're extreme freaks." Peter said rather bitterly, but not towards her, more to himself for thinking that he could have some sort of family. He moved past her and down the stairs, and towards his room, passing Drax who wasn't a man who read emotions too much, but knew what it was like to have family problems. Groot gave a sad smile of understandance to Quill. It didn't look like he understood what happened, but Peter always had a feeling that Groot was much smarter than Rocket gave him credit for. He got in to his room, and stood there for a minute before taking the char and tossing it across the room, hitting the wall hard. Peter was too tired to scream, to emotional to talk. He wanted to run until he couldn't anymore. He felt like the kid from Earth, scared and alone.

[EasilyAmused]

The mounted guns were nice but it was nothing compared to the imagine of a large man laughing in excitement as he shot things with the plasma cannon strapped to his chest. As Drax fired shots with a mix of creepy and excited laughter off of one side of the ship, Rocket and Nikki took the other side. “Sir Rocket, let’s take out their engines.”

“You got it toots!” Rocket said with excitement as he began to fire. His excitement made Nikki laugh in the microphone and the two began to fire at some of the rising ships. She wasn’t going to deal with the incoming warriors who were mad about the escape of their prisoner, the destruction of their castle and the heading pounding problem their emperor was now dealing with. Mainly the headache after smacking head first into his son.

Quill’s call was sad and Nikki felt her heart drop into her stomach. It was painful to hear someone talk like that but at the same time, she could relate to a degree. The poor guy. He just wanted some form of peace and balance in his life. While she grew up with her family before they were killed, it seemed like he didn’t have much of a family at all. Soon they left the atmosphere and the feeling on the ship was intense and sad. So much had happened in a small amount of time and poor Quill was worse for the wear with the situation at hand.

Nikki sat up in the gun pod for a bit, debating on what should happen, her head hurt, her body hurt but at the same time, she wanted to help Quill. He had a lot on his mind… Rising from her seat, she climbed down the ladder and went down the hallway. It didn’t take long before she heard the crashing of a chair from the direction she recognized as Quill’s room.

Walking to the door she leaned against it, listening to the silence within. She knew he was in there, but she wasn’t sure if he wanted company or not. Well he wasn’t going to get much of a choice at this point. Nikki gently turned the handle and stepped inside. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against it watching him for a moment before walking over. In a gentle manner, she took his hand and lead him to the bed, climbing on it she pulled him gently onto the bed making him sit down, Sitting next to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him in a hug, holding him and gently rubbing his back with her hands; her head against his shoulder breathing gently on his neck. Sometimes, you just need a hug.

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter turned slightly when he heard the door slide open. When he saw a glimpse of who it was, Peter turned back, staring back at the wall. He had nothing to say to anyone, he didn't have any apology, and he really didn't want someone to say sorry to him. The room was quiet, and tense as Peter tried to control his breathing after his fit of rage. Peter's features softened when he felt his hand being grabbed, but he still didn't say a word. He followed Nikki to the bed, and sat down, and when she embraced him, it took him a couple of seconds to wrap his arms around her too. He didn't expect a hug, and to be honest, he wouldn't have wanted one from anyone but Nikki. The feeling of her fingertips on his back, and her breath against his skin had him almost questioning why he was angry. Almost.

"How bad did they hurt you?" Peter asked quietly, the vision of Zero grasping her throat came in to his mind, he had a feeling the Spartois were a lot less sympathetic than the psychopathic bounty hunter out for money. He didn't let go of her as he asked it, God knows the next time he'll be able to be this close to Nikki. She did say she was planning on leaving after all.

[EasilyAmused]

His arms finally wrapped around her and she let out a small sigh of happiness. He was at least relaxing for the time being. Hopefully nothing goes to set him off like Rocket bursting in and saying some random things or attempting to flirt with her. That wasn’t something that they needed to deal with at the moment, though Peter might really not care all too much but it would make Nikki feel a bit uncomfortable. Smiling softly, it felt good to know there wasn’t complete anger there.

The question he asked was a hard one for her to answer. Simply because she didn’t want to; he was already angry enough. She tightened her grip slightly around his neck as she rubbed his back softly. “I’m alive, that’s all that matters Quill.” She said softly, her lips reached forward and gently kissed his neck much like he had done to her when changing her bandage. One kiss, then another and finally a third, “I’m alright, just a headache.” And a few cuts, bruises and quite a bit more aches and pains then before. But she was alive. “I’m alive, you’re alive; we’re all alive. That’s all that matters.” She said softly before resting her head back on his shoulder. “If you want, I’ll leave.”

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter wasn't expecting her lips on his skin, but it felt more than fantastic. It was as if a layer of ice was melting away from him. He didn't like the answer she gave him. He wanted to know what they did to her, and his friends. They don't deserve torture because of his heritage and mistakes... Man, that was completely out of his character. He pulled back from her to look at her face, hesitantly putting a hand on her cheek. He didn't know if these feelings she was showing was just to cheer him up, or they were just in the moment. He looked at her wounds, the cuts on her perfectly soft skin. He thought about his mother describing his father. An angel. He was very far from it. Nikki though... He looked at her brown eyes, as if seeing them for the first time. Sympathy, fear, acceptance, affection... Peter shook his head with a smile.

"You can't leave. You owe the mighty Star-Lord way too much to just leave..." Peter said jokingly, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek bone. He did't know if she meant leaving his room, or the ship... He felt like that response answered both of those. "And you're in no shape for walking and running about..."

[EasilyAmused]

It was a strange feeling to look someone in the eyes, someone like Peter Quill. She felt her knees go weak even though she was sitting and her heart kept skipping beats as he looked at her. The smile from him melted her very soul and she felt like she became putty in his hands. Her head tilted into his hand, unexpected for her but she was very much enjoying it. His hands were rough from the life he lived but all of his actions shoed a sense of kindness and tenderness to them.

“Then I shall stay until my debt is repaid.” She said with a smile answering him that she wouldn’t leave the room, or his ship until he wanted her to go. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea but she found a few friends on the ship, plus a creature she valued within her culture that was, for some reason, hitting on her. She could overlook that for the sake of the respect she felt he deserved but at the same time, it was a little odd.

“Seeing as the captain has forbid me to walk tonight, I suppose I should either be carried to my room or I should stay here.” A grin moved across her face again, “But understand this Star-Lord.” She said softly. “Just because you can say what happens on the ship, I control what happens to me.” She placed her forehead gently against his. “Basically, no funny business.” Yeah, she was agreeing to stay but she was stating that he wouldn’t be able to use his ‘powers of captaining’ to get things from her, physical things.

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter was about to make a few remarks, but stopped in his tracks as her forehead touched his, and told him the very fine line of what was going to be expected with her on board. It was completely understandable. Although he had an act for it, he had no intention of doing that to Nikki... per say. He couldn't turn down his natural charm!.. Okay, he was being a bit full of himself now, but he wasn't the Star-Lord she knew, and he hoped she knew that. Peter gave a nod, and innocent shrug. "Fair enough... But I think we both have to cheer up a bit." Peter said, standing up and walking over to the cassette player, inserting his "Awesome Mix Vol. I", and turning around, holding out his hand like he did earlier on the balcony.

"May i have this dance, Princess?" He asked with a smile as "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" came on playing through the room. If he was going to keep her from going anywhere, might as well dance with the woman who seemed to be the only one who had a sense of rhythm on board (besides Groot, but that was a secret between him and Peter).

[EasilyAmused]

He said it was fair enough and she nodded in agreement. A smile moved across her full lips when he said that they both needed a bit of a cheering up. A bright smile moved across her face as he got up and walked away from her. She knew he wouldn’t leave her there, they enjoyed each other too much for him to walk out; plus it was his room. The music soon began to fill the ship and she found herself bobbing to the music on his bed.

When he offered her his hand, she looked down at him. Her cheeks flushed pink when he called her princess. Rising up she placed her hand in his. “I will accept a dance from a Star-Lord. What an honor.” She said playfully to him as she climbed off the bed and to her feet.

[Jones Sparrow]

It was nice to hear music again, and the song was nice for them, and the lyrics meaning a bit more to him now than ever. He brought Nikki close, putting his hands on her waist and slowly dancing along to the music, like they did so long ago, but this time it meant a bit more than him just trying to get with her for a couple of nights to to take most of the money on an artifact... He was exhausted from all the events they had in such a short time. He honestly wouldn't want to spend this time with anyone else but Nikki. He moved his hands along her sides, and he gave gently kiss to her neck, returning the favor of her kisses. There was probably a lot of things he wanted to say to Nikki. I'm sorry, I think you're beautiful, you make me happy, and not lonely anymore... But he didn't know how to really express that in words. It wasn't his style.... Maybe someday in the future, as for now, he was just going to hold Nikki, and enjoy the time with her...

"Quill... We have a problem." Rocket's voice said through the intercom. He sighed a bit in annoyance, looking up at the ceiling. "What do you mean?" Peter asked, still holding Nikki. "Uhm... well, we got some tough guy trying to board our--"

"Peter Quill of the Milano?" A new voice came through the intercom

"What the hell? How did you hack throu--"

"I'm Nova Prime Richard Rider of the Nova Corps." The voice said again, interrupting Rocket. "We understand that you have come in contact with the Spartois very recently... and you have a high valued person on board..."

[EasilyAmused]

Everything was going so nice, so peacefully and she could feel herself relaxing; nearly melting in Peter’s arms. A long soft sigh left her as her knees nearly buckled under her as he kissed her neck. Surely abound to make some mistakes she would regret in the morning, Nikki opened her mouth to speak… only to be interrupted by the sound of Rocket’s voice coming over the intercom. Of course, that guy’s whiskers must have been twitching because he had a good habit of interrupting well timed things. Her attention moved up to the ceiling as he spoke, and they listened to Rocket respond, only to have him cut off by the incoming transmission.

Rocket seemed almost offended but the sudden talk who he was and about having someone of high value aboard sprang Nikki from Peter’s arms and she rushed out of the room and to the dining area where Rocket was typing on the computer in an attempt to get through the Nova’s hacking. “Nova Prime.” Nikki said in an assertive tone. “I insist you halt your actions and vacate the area.”

There was a small pause on the other end of the line before a small chuckle happened, “Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“I am the highly valued person on board and you are not to touch this ship or board without a warrant and permission of its owner. If you break galactic law they’ll have your suit.”

“My assignment is to bring the person of high value by any means necessary, I am to escort you to attend the council of planets meeting as a representative.”

“I no longer have a planet. That’s pure insult to have me there.”

“But there are still people. Those who left the planet need to know that there is a beckon of hope from their home planet.”

Nikki’s head hung, her chocolate eyes scanning the floor as if it was going to give her some form of advice. Her attention moved upwards letting out a sigh of defeat. “I take it as you’ve given that speech before... I will return with you--- but I do not wish to board your ship if the Captain will give me a ride instead.” She turned her attention to Peter. As much as she didn’t want to leave, she seemed like she’d have to talk her way out of committing herself to the council. “Do you mind giving me a ride Captain Quill?” Her chocolate eyes begging him to say yes, but twinkling with an idea; it was a long shot idea and they’d have to play along but it’s an idea.

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter didn't know who this guy was, but he knew that he and Nova Corps didn't really have a good relationship. Sure, the Guardians saved Xandar, and sure, they rebuilt his ship and wiped their records, but a few of them couldn't shake off that they were still criminals... Which, he guessed was sorta true, but they didn't do anything THAT horrible anymore! Nikki rushed out of his arms, leaving him there alone. He muttered something about ruining a good song. He walked in to the dining area soon after, listening to this Rich Rider and Nikki go off at each other. His arms were crossed. He had no intention of going to a meeting full of politicians who would love to just judge them all and try to get them arrested... But he wasn't expecting Nikki to actually say yes, and he definitely wasn't expecting her to ask if they would escort her.

Peter stepped up, clearing his throat. "It would be an honor, for the Guardians of the Galaxy to escort you." Peter said in a proud sort of tone, which made the new Nova Prime give a small laugh. "What's so funny?"

"No, I-uh, I didn't mean any disrespect but... Seriously? You feel safe with these guys?"

Both Peter and Rocket looked at each other with offense. "Why wouldn't she?" Rocket asked.

"Well, I mean I heard about what you guys did saving Xandar and stuff but... Ever since I've been on the force--"

"How long has that been?"

"When did the last Nova Prime die?"

"The Battle of Xandar"

"Then a week or two after that. We have been cleaning up your messes after your 'good deeds' of saving people but killing bad guys and destroying places."

"Listen buddy, we have saved a shit ton of people, and yeah, we may have blown up a few buildings and left a lot of casualties and left some villages starving... Okay, I'll shut up now." Rocket said after seeing the glare Peter was giving him.

"Yeah my point exactly... Look, I don't want to bring any disrespect to the Princess here, but if she is determined to stay on board the Milano, then it is my duty to make sure she makes it to Xandar in one piece." As he was talking Peter was silently mocking his voice. He already hated this guy more than the last Nova Prime (may he rest in piece).

Peter was silent for a few seconds, until he finally sighed. he didn't need to be on the bad side of Nova right now after his little incident with the Spartois. "Yeah, fine... Welcome aboard I guess."

Minutes later the airlock door opened, and when the room was pressurized, Rich Rider walked out, looking around at the place. "Cozy. I like it." He said simply, taking off his helmet. He had a clean shaven face, a square jaw, a charming grin, and dark brown hair.

[EasilyAmused]

It was obvious that Peter didn’t want the Nova Prime on his ship but he was making an exception for her. She gave him a small closed lip smile as a thank you before she stood upright from the computer and crossed her arms under her chest and glared at the entry way to where the Nova Prime would enter from.

Sure enough, he took up Peter’s invite and entered into the room. At first Nikki was pissed, until his face was exposed and Nikki’s face softened. He was human, obviously human. Almost… completely human; even Gamora seemed surprised at seeing his face as the girls exchanged a quick glance. Nikki coughed slightly getting the Nova’s attention. “Seeing as I am being escorted to a meeting of the representatives they must have some reason to be calling people. I true you have some form of form of information.”

“My information is just to escort the Princess of Metra to the council meeting.” He said in a rather simple and causal tone with a shrug; his large shoulders lifting and falling in the suit.

“I suppose a lacky used for only force and intimidation wouldn’t be entitled to such information.” Her tone was snarky and displeased of his comments towards the Guardians.

A chuckle left Rich as his dark eyes moved from her to the ground, “You’re not the only person to say something like that to me and I’m sure you won’t be the last.” Nikki’s head jerked back in surprise that he took her comment so well. His gaze shifted upwards as a small smile curled across his lips. “Though the comments typically come from filthy criminals, law breaking aristocrats and smartass coworkers; not a half Human half Metra Princess, it must be my lucky day.”

Again Nikki’s head jerked back in surprise as his lips curled into a charming smile showing his straight white teeth. She was a bit dumbfounded and unsure of what to say, especially since he wasn’t offended by her comments. Taking a step forward feeling the need to sit down, Rocket began to move, attempting to take the moment to pull her seat out for her. But Rich seemed a bit more on top of it. He slid in with an unexpected grace and pulled out her chair. Nikki’s head jerked back against in surprise but she couldn’t help but give him a nod and a small thank you as she took the seat.

[Jones Sparrow]

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, I know. Not an ugly guy."

"I am Groot."

"Why are you asking me that? You go ask him!"

Peter's face was a shade of red. He watched as this Rich Rider talked to Nikki, both her and Gamora gawking at this guy. He rolled his eyes as he was talking about all the insults he got. As if he was any special on this ship! When he offered Nikki a chair, that's when Peter stepped in. "Alright, Mister Prime." He said, placing his hands on the table. "As of now you are to follow our rules."

Nova looked around the place, and looked at Quill with a smirk. "Seems like you have very little by the looks of this place, should be easy to remember."

"Rule one: the sassy comments are only come from me, and Rocket."

"That's not gonna happen--"

"Rule two, be very literal with Drax, or he will literally rip out your spine."

"I read his file, Note taken."

"Rule three, I'll be called 'Captain' or 'Star-Lord' to you. And finally, keep your stuff in your quarters, stay out of our stuff, and we should get along just nicely." Peter said, staring at him. Richard gave him a shrug. "More or less. Just so we are clear, Captain, I work for Nova. If you do anything illegal, or I see anything illegal, then we won't be getting along as much as we are now."

Drax rose from the seat he was sitting in. "Do not threaten my friends." He said coldly, glaring at the man, where Nova held up his hands. "whoah there, buddy, I wasn't threatening anyone. Just reminding you that--"

"We are 'bad people'?" Gamora asked, arms crossed. "You seem to act like you know a lot about us just because of your title."

"I know that you are Gamora, also known as the 'Galaxy's deadliest assassin' and 'Thanos' adopted daughter.'" Rich said. "I know that you did a lot of things you aren't proud of, and although you try so hard to go on this path of redemption, violence and death always follows you." He turned to Drax. "I know that you're known as Drax the Destroyer, and you lost everything when Ronin attacked, and went on a rampage that lead you to jail. You are also on a path, but for revenge, and don't care what happens to you, or others along the way." Then he turned to Rocket and Groot. "Then there's the two bounty hunters, one with a very loud mouth, and the other has a one line vocabulary. Both are very rare, with one being a test subject and the other being the very last of their kind. You have a knack for blowing things up and yelling, while he is completely loyal to you. You'd do anything for money without a second thought."

He then turned to Peter. "And I know you're from Earth, like me. You hide behind women, and your reputation of being an outlaw to hide the fact that you were raised by messed up dudes. Being an orphan really sucks, especially when one of your parents dies of cancer and the other is a ruler of a dangerous and superior race."

"So excuse me for being a bit unsure about jumping on a ship with people who did one good deed that covered every other horrible thing they did." Rich looked at them all, and leaned back. Peter's fist was clenched. "So lets all try to get along for the sake of the Princess here, and as soon as we drop her off the sooner we can go back to respecting each other from a distance..." Everyone was quiet for a long time, mostly because what this guy said was right... in a way. They weren't the people they were, but there wouldn't be any convincing for now. Peter really wanted to rant back, but he caught a glimpse of Gamora looking over at him, warning him not to, or his point would be proven.

There was a bit of a pause before Rich stood up. "So... Where are my quarters, Captain Quill? I'd like to slip in to something a bit more... comfortable." He gave a small glance over to the women, then back at Quill.

Peter slowly unclenched his fist again, pointing to the door. "There's an empty quarters on the left side. third door." Rich nodded, and took his helmet with him, walking in that direction. This day kept on getting better and better...

[EasilyAmused]

At first, Nikki was mad. Her arms crossed under her chest and glaring at the Nova as he began to list off the faults within her companions but it wasn’t until he got to Quill that she began to actually pay attention. The fact that he hid behind women made her wiggle a bit in her chair. It wasn’t exactly fun to hear that in the files of a guy she had come to enjoy being around, there was information that said they were messing around with women. She did her best not to look over at Quill but she couldn’t help but flick her eyes towards him as the Nova spoke more than more about his life growing up. But upon the mention of who Quill’s father was, Nikki’s gaze locked on the Nova. Even Quill didn’t know that information. How did they have that in his file but he didn’t know?!

When Rich left the group sat in an awkward silence, Nikki, with her arms crossed, glaring at the table. How could he say such rude things about everyone? They were trying to change their ways and that should be acknowledged because they are trying. Instead the Nova would rather see them be reminded of their faults and make them sad for it. The look on Gamora’s face was a pained one as she kept to herself, merely standing up and walking away. Rocket’s ears had dropped, not liking that the Nova pointed out he was an experiment and only out to get money. If that was true, he would have turned Nikki in for the money that The Collector was offering.

After a moment, Nikki rose to her feet and stormed down the hallway. Stopping at the door that was the Nova’s temporary room she banged on it. “Yes?” An arrogant and nearly teasing tone echoed from the other side of the door.

“You owe these people an apology!” She barked through the door.

There was a sigh that echoed through the door before it was pulled open. The dark haired young man was in nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms. His large figure was muscular and fit to the point that Nikki’s jaw nearly dropped. Can you blame her though? It was her first shirtless human she had ever seen and, well it was also the Nova Prime. Yes, everyone knows of the Nova Prime but seeing him outside of his suit was a rarity. Much less for Nikki who didn’t really know that many people; swallowing softly she continued. “You shouldn’t be talking like that to these people. They are trying to right their wrongs and do good; they were pardoned and they deserve to be treated with a clean slate.”

“Princess hear me out.” He said softly leaning himself against the doorframe, resting his large hand up on the top of frame, “Coming from my direction I can’t help but be skeptical of their future based upon their past. They need to be careful because they could get themselves in a lot of trouble. Even though their slates are clean; they can still get dirty again.”

“But that doesn’t mean they will. And continuing to remind them that they’ve done things wrong in the past will not allow them to change. They need to know that the change will be accepted. You’re assuming they’re still bad people and they have shown me more kindness than anyone else has in a long time. That should say something for their characters.”

“It does,” He said softly leaning forward a bit, a smile on his face as he did so. “It says you haven’t been treated right at all. But don’t worry things change. Especially when someone new has arrived,” He leaned back and placed his hand on the door, leaving her with a bit of a dumbfounded look on her face. “You have me here now. You can expect to see a lot of changes around the ship. And it all begins with how you’re treated tomorrow.” With that he gave her a charming grin and slowly shut the door. “Goodnight Princess, you know where I am if you need me… for anything…” With that the door shut and Nikki was left standing in front of it with a dumbfounded look on her face and still in a daze. Okay, that was an interesting way to end the night.

The next morning Nikki woke up beating everyone else, or so she thought. Dressed in a pair of short shorts and a black tank top, she walked out of her room to smell something familiar in the air. Sniffing the air, she nearly floated down the hallway and into the kitchen/dining room/meeting room area to find Rich standing over the stove with a pan. He was tossing things into the air and catching them in the pan, a cutting board and knife at on the side of the stove and he turned with a grin. “Good morning Princess. Are you a fan of potatoes? It’s an Earth dish.”

Nikki practically floated to him, her nose leading the way before she stopped at the shirtless Nova’s side. “I love Potatoes.” She said in a nearly dreamy voice staring down at the pan.

“It’s one of my favorite things too. And as a treat I’ll even let you have the first piece when they’re done.” He said in a bright tone which made Nikki beam up at him with excitement as he stirred the diced up potatoes. Okay so maybe having the Nova around wouldn’t be that bad, especially if he made potatoes…

[Jones Sparrow]

Peter obviously went after Nikki. He had a thing or two to say to this "Nova" guy, and it probably would end with a fist fight and someone being thrown out in to space. Hew as about to burst through the door until he heard the two talking. He was behind a corner, listening to what the man was saying, and every word made him hate the guy even more.... Wait. Was he... making a move on Nikki?! Oh, that wasn't going to happen. Not one bit. Peter wasn't the man he thought he was, and his friends sure as hell weren't either. Peter walked away a few seconds before their conversation ended.

He was confronted soon by Gamora. "Don't let him get to your head. We have nothing to prove to anyone except ourselves." she said flatly, but very gently. Peter nodded. "yeah, I know." She stared at him, tilting her head. "You're thinking of something. Normally i would say don't piss off Nova Prime, but..." She casually shrugged. "As long as it doesn't hurt him." Gamora trailed off, then walking for her room. "I'm just going to kill him with kindness..." Peter said before walking off towards his room as well.

---

Peter thought about it all night. He was going to show that he wasn't a womanizer anymore. He was going to show he was doing things more for money, and he was not afraid of anything. Starting off by making the crew some breakfast. He had saved a last few potatoes in his reserves. Believe it or not, they were rare. it seemed that humans were the only ones who really enjoyed the taste. He got up, wearing his usual attire, his blue athletic shirt, ravenger pants and boots. He walked towards the kitchen area of the ship, and as soon as the door opened, the smell of potatoes filled the air.

He was shocked, no, bewildered that Nova Prime was cooking in HIS ship with HIS potatoes with Nikki right next to her. He totally stole his idea! Rick turned to see Quill, and gave a smile before looking at the food again. "Morning, Star-Lord." He said, obviously being a smartass. Quill said nothing at first, he walked towards the food. He used all of the potatoes. "Glad to see you're... being of use i guess..." Peter muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, I'd just like to show the Guardians how much I appreciate this... and I'm sure its been a while since the Princess has gotten a good meal without raccoon hair in it." Rick said casually. Peter tried hard not to clench his fist. "Well, that's good... Don't you have a ship or something to move your personals out of? so you can spend all of your time in the peacefulness that's your room, by yourself...?" Peter asked, leaning on the table. Rick shook his head. "Nope, my Nova Prime suit lets me fly through space just as fast as your ship, and lets me breathe. All of my personal stuff is already with me... And I'm not much of a private person, I always like to have company..." He looked over at Nikki with a smile, then at Quill.

Peter rolled his eyes, walking towards the stairs that lead to the cockpit. "I'm going to check if we're still on course..." He muttered.

Rick gave a shrug, tending to the potatoes more. "He seemed a bit upset. Still not used to another member." Nova said. Just then, the ship took a sharp turn, the hot grease from the pan hitting Nova on his chest. He screamed in pain, letting out a few colorful words. Peter came back down the stairs, a much brighter smile on his face as he saw Nova. "Sorry, we hit some turbulence in an an Asteroid field... Ah, man, got burned?" Peter asked, not really caring but pretending to. "I'm sure your space suit can heal you just fine."

With that, Peter walked back towards his room. He needed to think of something else to show Nikki he's changed. Rick gave a glare at him as he walked by. So, if Peter Quill wants a challenge, he will definitely get one.

[EasilyAmused]

Nikki didn’t expect this kindness from the Nova, so as you can imagine her smile was bright and her body actions were relaxed and ready for some form of peace and quiet around the ship. That was her original hope until the boys came out to play. Quill seemed a bit, uneasy and the way Rick approached Quill did not come across as a very pleasant one. But then again, Rick seemed to be a bit hard when you first meet him but after the talk last night, she did feel like there was something more to him than meets the eye.

Though she couldn’t help but smile at Quill when he arrived and the comment about the suit made her laugh softly. The Nova Suits were rather incredible, so it wasn’t surprising to hear that it could sustain the large man through space and when he said he enjoyed company that made Nikki grin at him. She had begun to like people again so finding someone who was willing to spend time with her was a wonderful thing. And him openly admitting that he wouldn’t mind spending time with people in general was a good thing. Even if the people weren’t exactly the best of their kind, they were good people and hopefully he’d get a chance to see that.

When Quill left, Nikki turned her attention back to Rick and opened her mouth to say something, only to have the ship jerk from under her and her tumbling and nearly falling backwards onto the floor. The colorful words and scream of pain/surprise drew her attention to the Nova watching him jump back from the potatoes. Then her gaze moved to Quill who said something about an asteroid field, it made sense; I mean, they were in space.

As Rick excused himself, she assured him she would watch over the potatoes and stepped in as the stirrer to insure they wouldn’t burn. Her ears twitched slightly as if looking for the music that should be playing throughout the ship. Sadly there was none yet and she let out a small sigh.

“Good morning beautiful!” A small voice said from behind her. Rocket had made his way down the hall and climbed upon a chair without her hearing him.

“Good morning Sir Rocket. Did you sleep peacefully?” She asked with a brightness to her voice as she stirred the potatoes, in her mind it’s been a good morning so far!

“I did, thank you for asking.” His voice still filled with pride that she would call him Sir Rocket. “I have something for you. It’s nothing big but I saw it and thought of you.”

With that she turned around to see his little arms stretched out holding a good sized bowie knife in a sheath.
“Is… is that for me?” She asked, her voice stumbling slightly.

“Well yeah.” He said with an innocent shrug as she took the weapon from him.

She unsheathed it and examined it with great detail. Two sets of footsteps were heard coming back down the hallway, one obviously the Nova back in his suit and the other sounded a lot like Quill’s. “Oh Sir Rocket…” She began, a softness to her voice unlike any other time. “This… this is wonderful. Thank you…”She slowly put the blade back into the sheath. “This is the first gift anyone has ever given me since my people were killed…” With that she reached down and picked up Rocket from the chair and wrapped her arms around him. Not feeling the new sets of eyes upon her she embraced Rocket in a hug, her voice filled with a mix of joy and sadness. “Thank you. Thank you so much…”

At first, Rocket really didn’t know what to do. He was confused as Nikki picked him up off of the table but as she hugged him, he realized what was going on and wrapped his small arms around her neck returning the hug. A small sniffle left Nikki as she placed him back down on the table and turned back to the stove, placing the blade on the counter and stirred the potatoes.

Behind her, unseen, Rocket climbed down and started towards the hallway only to see the two men walking into the room. He gave them an arrogant smile before disappearing down the hallway walking with a large sense of pride.

[Jones Sparrow]

Of course Peter was joking when he said that Nova's suit probably could heal his new burns. He felt pretty good about that remark... That was until both of them walked out of their rooms at the exact same time, him wearing his sleek armor that probably swooned the ladies. Peter rolled his eyes and started to walk down the hall, his Walkman in his hand. "So, an asteroid field, eh?" Rick asked. Peter shrugged as Rick started to walk next to him. "They happen." Peter answered simply. After a little pause, Rick spoke up again. "You know, she's off limits. Being royalty and all." He said casually. Peter looked over at him, then back down the hall. "I mean, you're a potential candidate, with you being this Prince of Spartans or whatever." Peter didn't say anything. "Although, i could be a candidate too. Since she's half human from Earth... What's with that dinosaur?" He reached for the walkman that Peter was holding but he moved it away from him, and then put his forearm to his neck, pushing him against the wall. Rick only grinned. "Assaulting an officer is a criminal offense, Quill... You're just proving my point." He said quietly.

Peter let go just when Rocket walked by them, a smirk on his face, looking at both of them. "Morning, Boys." he said, walking off. The two looked at him, then back at each other, then went in to the kitchen again to see Nikki holding a new sword. Both expressions looked a bit confused. then shocked. They both looked back at where Rocket walked away, then at Nikki. Peter walked over to the wall with the cassette player, "Spirit in the Sky" starting to play.

"Alright, I'll take over from here, Princess." Quill said with a smile, taking the pan with potatoes in it gently from her hand. "If anyone knows how to make some good hashbrowns, its me." Quill said. "Hash-ed Browns again? What is it with you humans and your love for that root?" Drax said, walking in, seeing the blade on the counter. "Where did you get this? That is from my personal collection." He said, glaring at everyone. Just when Rocket was going to walk in, he quickly turned on his heel, and left rather quickly.