Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part One

"We must hurry, my master's hunger grows with each moment," Silver Surfer gazed into the distant void, toward a call that only he could hear. "Soon enough, he will come to my location without any need to summon him…"

Dan nodded and scanned the Fortress below. The last of the mission participants were in line to register with a converted genesis tree. Fused with the resurrection technology, it would borrow the power of the Celestial machines within the Earth to revive all who registered their genetic code.

"They'll be ready in less than twenty minutes," Dan returned his focus to the Surfer, and the mildly unstable power within the Herald's body. Both of them had been unable to gain the benefits of the new machine, their DNA too complex and high energy for even Celestial tech to process. "How about you? Your energy is going to announce us to Ego if you can't get it under control."

"Galactus's call is impossible to resist," the Surfer shook his head, hands clenched as he better suppressed his power. "Soon enough I will be forced to send out a beacon he can follow, a failsafe that prevents my escape."

"Just hold for a bit longer," A final glance showed that Logan had the last team members on their way to the newly built Celestial/Kryptonian spacecraft. Dan shifted toward the east and motioned for Silver Surfer to follow. "Come, let's collect Juggernaut and move ourselves into position. By the time we're ready, the others will be waiting for our signal."

– – – –

"Good to meet you, Miss…" Qui-Gon tilted his head at the Daughter, hand extended in greeting as he probed her with the force. She laughed as they shook, her green hair fanned out around her like a veil. 

"We have only ever been known by our titles," the Daughter released the former Jedi's hand and turned her gaze to the woman at his back. "Both of you may call me Big Sister, if you find 'the Daughter' to be awkward."

"Who are you?" Bastila shuddered under the Daughter's observations, overwhelmed by her presence in the Force. "It's like there's a vortex inside you, a light side nexus that follows your every move…"

"Our guest is a member of the Celestial race, the same ones that caused the construction of the Star Forge," May poked the Daughter on the shoulder and the woman reigned in her power. "We're here to see if Master Qui-Gon is interested in taking on a new title, the Master of Light, guardian of the light side of the Force."

"He seems to be a good choice," the Daughter returned her focus to the peaceful energy that suffused Qui-Gon's body. "Your talent is more than enough, and you have a similar sunfire within you as May and her husband. Such a powerful body will serve you well if you hope to call on the full power of the light side and survive…"

"I'm uncertain what you mean, but if Lady May has a task for me then I am more than willing to accept," Qui-Gon's lips turned upward in a gentle smile as he turned to May. "Our recruitment drive in the temple went about as expected, with several dozen of the younger generation defecting to Krypton's cause."

"Excellent work, Qui-Gon," May nodded, her senses extended to scan the world for new arrivals. She found them within the Krypton Order's temple, already under Vergere's instruction. "As for this being a task… this is a choice that you have to make on your own, if you refuse then we can find another to hold the responsibility."

"I am not one to turn aside a responsibility, especially one so mysterious," Qui-Gon's serene gaze met the Daughter's without flinching, face returned to a more serious expression. "Tell me more about this offer of yours…"

– – – –

"I'll never get used to this symbiote…" Juggernaut picked at the red-black layer on his skin, indifferent toward the symbiote's complaints. "It feels like I'm running around naked without my regular helmet in place."

"It's more effective than that cumbersome thing," Dan shook his head, gaze on a planetoid in the distance. Ego remained unaware of their approach, but that would only last so long. "Get ready for the final jump and remember, Ego needs to remain alive or the trap won't have a strong enough bait."

The cosmic energy he'd harvested from Apocalypse paled in comparison to the radiant glow that existed within Ego's core. The living world stood out like a beacon, filled with a power that Galactus would find hard to resist.

If all went to plan, Ego would survive to become another cosmic energy generator, locked away inside the phantom zone after their work was done. If not, then his sacrifice would buy them time to complete the most important aspect of their mission.

"I know, I know… don't smash up the brain at the core, or the machine beside it," Juggernaut cracked his neck and pressed his fists together with a thud that carried through the vacuum. "Let's just get on with it already!"

Dan rolled his eyes as he teleported them to Ego's surface with a wave of his hand. Before the living planet could respond, Juggernaut battered the ground with both fists, a release of force that opened a deep crevice into the depth of the world.

The three of them dropped into the bottomless ravine, while a phantom portal opened behind them. Guided by Prime Zero's hand, a Kryptonian frigate jumped directly into the atmosphere. Powerful energy weapons released a bloom of blue-white plasma from its hull, directed toward the edges of Juggernaut's hole.

"Who dares to invade my surface?" The land around the chasm folded upwards, repelled by the ship's bombardment as it slipped inside. "Disgusting creatures… and an avatar of Cyttorak, how amusing. However, one of you has a most unusual body!"

A wave of telekinetic force wrapped itself around Dan, shoved backward from his body with a flex of his biofield. Juggernaut landed another punch, an explosion of crimson force that burrowed ever deeper into the core. One more blow and the planet's core would be exposed, yet Ego's arrogance had him focused on Dan's biology..

"You there, the one with the 'S' on his chest," a swirl of dust reformed ahead, into the shape of a kindly old man. He waved a hand and Juggernaut was hurled into the wall, enveloped by stone that had become more like flesh than rock. "Stop a moment and let me take a closer look at you."