Chapter 16: Arriving at Xandar

The sleek, Ancient transporter ship dropped out of hyperspace near the designated Jump Point coordinates for the Universal Neural Teleportation Network. Max stared out of the cockpit window, quietly fascinated by the sight of a glowing portal-like anomaly that marked the location of the Jump Point. Xandar's system was bustling with activity—ships of various designs moving in and out of the jump lanes, all following the meticulously ordered flight paths that led them to and from the vast station in orbit around Xandar.

Max let out a soft breath, his eyes studying the bustling space lanes. "We're close, but this is as far as we can go. Our ship doesn't use Jump Point tech." He turned toward Tony, who was leaning over the co-pilot's seat.

"Why not?" Tony asked, curious as ever. "Wouldn't that make things faster?"

Max chuckled. "Sure, but it's not flexible. The Jump Point drive can quickly jump between two designated points, but it has limitations. The Ancient ships use hyperspace drives. Slower in some situations, but way more flexible—we can go anywhere, not just from one fixed jump point to another."

Tony hummed thoughtfully, clearly intrigued by the distinction. But before he could respond, the ship's communications console lit up, and a voice came through, crisp and formal.

"This is Xandar Patrol Ship Nova Spirit to unidentified vessel. Please identify yourself and state your purpose in the Xandar system."

Max leaned forward, pressing the comms button. "This is the Humor Hawk, piloted by Max Stark. The ship was constructed by me. I've come to Xandar for the first time with four passengers aboard. We're here for tourism and private trade purposes. Additionally, I'd like to register both myself and the ship for official recognition."

There was a brief pause on the other end, and then the Xandarian officer's voice returned. "Understood, Humor Hawk. Please prepare for further identification. I'll need the names of everyone on board and the registration information for your ship."

Max turned to Pepper and handed her a small data pad. "Pepper, mind helping with the registration process? It's just the usual forms."

Pepper, ever the professional, nodded and moved forward, taking the pad. She quickly began entering the necessary details, filling out identification papers for the crew and the ship's name. "Humor Hawk? Really?" she muttered under her breath as she worked.

Max smiled. "It fits, don't you think?"

As Pepper worked with the Xandarian patrol officer to get the paperwork in order, Tony leaned back and whispered, "You seriously named the ship Humor Hawk?"

Max shrugged. "Felt right."

Meanwhile, Natasha—disguised as Tony's assistant, Natalie Rushman—observed the entire interaction with a calm, professional demeanor. But inside, she was mentally recording everything. Every single detail, from the way the Xandarian patrol operated to how Max handled the registration, was being stored for future analysis. She wished she could be taking physical notes, but that would be too obvious.

As the registration progressed, Pepper reached the point of entering the passengers' names into the system. When it came time to register Natasha, Max cleared his throat and interrupted, leaning slightly toward Pepper.

"Actually, before you input that..." Max paused for a moment, glancing at Natasha. "Her real name isn't Natalie. It's Natasha."

The room fell into a sudden, stunned silence. Tony blinked, turning slowly toward Max. "Wait... what?"

Pepper looked just as confused, but she recovered quickly. "Uh... Natasha?" she asked, looking at Natasha for confirmation.

The Xandarian officer, who had been patiently waiting on the other end of the comms, seemed to pause as well, clearly listening in on the exchange.

Natasha's eyes flicked over to Max, her cool exterior slipping ever so slightly as she gauged him. He knew. Of course he knew.

With a quiet sigh, Natasha finally spoke. "Yes. Natasha Romanoff. I'm... not actually Tony's assistant. I work for SHIELD."

Pepper, Tony, and even the Xandarian officer remained silent for a moment longer. Finally, the patrol officer spoke. "Understood. Proceeding with registration, Ms. Romanoff."

As the officer finished up, Tony leaned closer to Natasha, his voice low. "Wait, so you've been spying on me this whole time?"

Natasha gave him a wry smile. "More like... observing. SHIELD wanted to know if you were suitable for the Avengers Initiative."

Tony stared at her, then at Max, then back to Natasha. "Does anyone around me tell me the truth?"

Max just shrugged with an innocent smile, while Natasha remained composed, as though nothing she said was out of the ordinary.

The registration process finally complete, the Xandarian officer signed off. "Welcome to Xandar. You are now cleared to dock at Orbital Station 23."

Max sighed in relief. "Thank you, Nova Spirit. Proceeding to dock now."

With that, Max guided the transporter toward the orbital station. They approached the massive structure that floated gracefully above Xandar. Its sleek, white architecture gleamed under the light of the nearby star, its docks filled with ships from across the galaxy. Max expertly guided the Humor Hawk into one of the docking bays, locking the ship into place with a soft hiss.

As the docking procedure finished, Tony turned to Natasha. "So... how much of this whole intergalactic thing did you know about?"

Natasha crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "Not as much as I'd like. Fury has some intel on Xandar and other galactic empires, but this?" She gestured to the ship and the surrounding station. "This is new for me."

"And you've been watching me because Fury thinks I might be... what? Avengers material?"

Natasha gave a small nod. "It's part of the job."

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but Max clapped his hands together, cutting the conversation short. "Alright, everyone. Time to head down to the planet."

The group made their way to the station's main elevator system, a sleek structure that descended to the surface of Xandar. The view was breathtaking as they descended—Xandar's vibrant cities sprawling across the planet's surface, rivers of light flowing through the city streets as ships of all sizes flew between towering skyscrapers.

As they descended, Max pulled a small leather bag from his jacket and handed it to Pepper. "Here. You'll need this."

Pepper looked at the bag, then back at Max, confused. "What's in here?"

"Think of it like a Mary Poppins bag," Max said with a grin. "It's enchanted with an expansion spell. Inside are various metal bars—gold, silver, platinum—and some gemstones. You're going to need to exchange them for Xandarian currency."

Pepper's eyes widened as she hefted the bag, feeling the weight despite its small size. "This is..."

"Magic," Max said, shrugging nonchalantly. "Don't worry. Just trade it in at one of the official exchange centers. I'm sure you'll get a good deal."

Pepper looked at the bag, still wrapping her mind around the fact that it was, apparently, magic. She nodded slowly, deciding to accept it for now. "Alright. I'll take care of it."

Max turned to Natasha, his expression more serious. "You're with Pepper. Keep an eye on her. Make sure nothing happens."

Natasha nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Understood."

Tony, who had been quietly observing the interaction, finally spoke up. "And what about me?"

Max grinned. "You and I are going shopping. We're going to see if we can find some interesting tech. Specifically, I'm looking for a Jump Point drive."

Tony blinked, surprised. "A Jump Point drive? You you mentioned the thing that lets you use that neural teleportation network?"

Max nodded. "Exactly. We don't have the tech yet. That's what we're here for."

Tony looked impressed, his mind already racing with the possibilities. "Well, alright then. Let's go shopping."

The group split off—Pepper and Natasha heading toward the financial district to exchange the metals, while Max and Tony made their way to the tech markets. Xandar's bustling streets were filled with aliens of all shapes and sizes, from towering Spartax warriors to small, horned Xandarians haggling with street vendors.

Meanwhile, in the financial district, Pepper and Natasha approached one of the official currency exchange centers. The sleek building was guarded by stern-faced Xandarians, their uniforms crisp and formal. Pepper stepped forward, pulling the small enchanted bag from her purse.

As she handed it over to the teller, she explained, "I'd like to exchange these for Xandarian units."

The teller raised an eyebrow but nodded, taking the bag and opening it. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the sheer amount of gold and silver inside. "This is quite the haul," he said, impressed. "I'll get this processed right away."

While they waited, Natasha remained alert, scanning the crowd with a trained eye. She had learned long ago that even in the most civilized places, danger could lurk in unexpected corners.

Her instincts proved right.

As the teller worked, Natasha noticed a trio of aliens moving toward them—tall, muscular beings with sharp horns curving from their foreheads. They moved with a predatory grace, their eyes fixed on Pepper's bag.

"Stay close," Natasha murmured to Pepper, shifting her stance slightly, preparing for a confrontation.

Without warning, one of the horned aliens lunged forward, reaching for the bag. Natasha reacted instantly. She grabbed the alien's wrist, twisting it with precision and forcing him to the ground in a swift movement. A second alien charged at her from the left, but Natasha spun, using her momentum to land a solid kick to his chest, sending him crashing into a nearby stall.

The third alien hesitated for a moment, but that was all Natasha needed. She moved in close, wrapping her legs around his neck and using her thighs to choke him into unconsciousness. Within seconds, all three attackers were down, groaning in pain or out cold.

Pepper stood frozen, wide-eyed as Natasha dusted herself off, retrieving the bag from the fallen thief.

"Remind me to never mess with you," Pepper muttered.

Meanwhile, Max and Tony had found their way to the tech market, browsing through various stalls filled with strange, alien devices. After some searching, they finally found what they were looking for—a Jump Point drive.

Max negotiated with the merchant, agreeing to pay once Pepper returned with the exchanged currency. The deal was made, and they secured two additional technologies—an advanced battery and a superconducting material.

When the group reconvened, Pepper told them the story of the attempted robbery, and Natasha's swift response. Tony couldn't help but grin. "I always knew you had moves, 'Natalie.'"

Natasha smirked. "It's 'Natasha,' now. And yes, I have a few."

Once the currency was exchanged, Max finalized the purchases. To thank the group for their efforts, Max bought everyone matching wrist-mounted computer bands, which also functioned as multi-language translators.

Finally, Max led them to a luxurious hotel in the heart of Xandar. As they approached the front desk, Max spoke to the receptionist, arranging rooms for the group. "I'll need two standard suites and... a honeymoon suite for Pepper and Tony."

Tony's eyes lit up, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he shot a glance at Pepper. She blushed, but smiled softly, playfully hitting Tony on the arm. "Don't get any ideas, Stark."

"Oh, I've got plenty of ideas," Tony replied, his voice full of mirth.

Max shook his head, chuckling to himself. Xandar had already proven to be an adventure, and this was only the beginning.