Battle of Xandar

Nova Prime gave a node to Denarian, who hurried towards wall and got square shape case out of secure storage hidden in a wall.

- It is here. This case is more secure and guarantee to limit stone radiation to minimum. Making it harder to track it down. If you help us to defend Xandar against Thanos assault, I guarantee you that multiple similar cases will be send with our agents to different remote and dead parts of universe to buy us time. Of course that information will find a way to Thanos ears.

- Acceptable. I work better on a ground battlefield. Proceed with civilian evacuation out of war zone. Dr. Banner please go with Nova Prim me as my representative and help us to coordinate our effort. Brunnhilde, take a Harrow to spin. Keep them distracted and annoyed. No direct engagement with battlecruiser.

- Yes, Your Highness.

Just then I hear fast approaching sound of crushed stones, glasses and metal.

- We have company, leave immediately. I will take care about stone. Move!

Brunnhilde was already on a move and jumped out of window - breaking it on the way. That's a way to get to the Harrow fast. Looks like Denarian had a presence of mind as well. Hovercraft just arrived outside of the window and got Nova Prime, Dr Banner and Denarian on board and speeded up somewhere else.

I checked case one more time and hide it in personal dimension storage. Just on time to turn around and see a brute to break wall into meeting room.

I send dozen conjured swords with a wave of hand, but they just broke into shards. Not missing a bit, I conjured blunt oversized hammer and delivered overpowered swing in a middle of abdomen. That! Send a brute on his way back. I actually can see other side of the building with new and shiny exit in outside lights of local Star. Huh! The brute fell out of the building!

I started to walk there, to just see what happen to the brute, when new person came in a view. He looked in direction where brute went and turned towards me. Ah mage. With a wave of had he picked up metal debris, transformed them in sharp needles and send them in my way. Conjured shield took care about that and dozen swords was on a way back in time of one heartbeat. Ha, this mage actually know how to move! He avoided most of the swords and with few scratches jumped way back. I keep my assault on and more and more swords were on a way to make nice and dead mage. Just then something pierced me from behind and stuck out of my chest. Mage looked at me with a smug. Until I pushed myself of the sharp spare and send more and more and more swords at him. At some point he had to jump out of the building after brute.

When I got to hole in a wall, I saw groggy brute just recovering from the fall and mage levitating next to him. Mage gave me worried look. I just jumped out and proceeded with overwhelming sword air assault. Mage had to move closest flyer to cover their retreat.

When I landed with a shockwave that send debris around, I saw only demolished surface and no sign of Mage and brute.

Then there were multiple explosions higher over atmosphere. Ah, dropships with ground troops are trying to land. Few made through and crashed not so far away. Dummies has been arrived. Time to remind universe about my existence.

——

Ebony Maw was standing next to barely conscious Cull Obsidian collapsed form in a shades of upper flor balcony. He has perfect view on landing zone of dropships where massacre was happening. One single person fluidly was waiving between troops and leaving only corpses behind.

Same person that critically injured Cull by brute force and left her touch all over his body. Thousands cuts that holds closed only thanks to his magic. He barely escaped with all limbs attached. He is not a match here. He needs to report it immediately.

- Master, please see attached recording first. Cull Obsidian is in need of medical attention. And so am I.

Next few minutes of silence, Ebony focused on healing to avoid to think about possible punishment for failure.

- Hela Odinsdottir. Princess of Asgard. Very well. That's unexpected development. You have my permission to evacuate. Prepare full report and I need all your memories ready for review.

——

Brunnhilde was high on battle blood flow. She just cut one of the dropships in half with mounted swordlike extension on the Harrow. It reminded her about air battles on her Pegasus all years ago. She missed only high pressure air in face and a sound of flapping wings…

——

Bruce was standing behind Nova Prime. On hologram upfront was real-time stream of ongoing battle status. There were nonstop ongoing explosions in upper atmosphere. Dozen dropships were trying to pass through air forces. And while local forces were hit hard, Valkyrie was putting dropships to waste by cutting them in ramp attacks. She was moving with zero regards to gravity and momentum.

On the ground Hela was cutting landed troops by hundreds every moment. It was actually terrifying to watch. Body parts and blood was flying around and creating red and blue mist in a air.

- Unidentified spacecraft moving on gravity escape route. Sending A12 and A24 on interception curse.

There was unexpected development around unidentified spacecraft.

- Battlecruiser is providing high density cover! A12 and A24 are down!

- I am on it! - Valkyries voice broke over command channel.

At this time spacecraft already was in a close range to battlecruiser. Harrow hot on a tail but she is not close enough and constant assault from battlecruiser keep her distance.

Unexpectedly Harrow jumped to sub-light speed right through spacecraft and battlecruiser cutting former in half and leaving a long tail of melted wound on battlecruiser. Latter one picked up debris of spacecraft and made sharp maneuver to jump point. At time when Harrow return back from sub-light jump, battlecruiser already left system.

——

Thanos was sitting on his throne and watching battle records over and over. As soon as he received report of Odin death, he moved his plan forward. All pieces was in a proper place. Only soul stone location was unknown, but he had plans to catch Gamora to retrieve a stone. First major mistake in his plan was assumption that Hela will go after Asgardian throne against Thor and will create a chaos and collapse of any protection around Nine realms. He had a good measure and solid plan to capitalize on this chance to retrieve 2 of 3 known stones from Midgard . There was even good chance with a help of power stone to get into middle of civil war on Asgard and to accrue Tesseract that contained a space stone.

Latest report from Sakaar about Hela movements was a first bell, but he, in his pride, decided that she went there to get more muscle power and some needed supplies to advance against Asgard.

Instead she ended up on Xandar and was in a meeting with Nova Prime. Was it coincidence? Or Hela was after stone herself? Is it possible that she got information about power stone on Sakaar and immediately moved on? No, that's has a low possibility. She needed something else. Something that she cannot get by just killing everyone on her way.

He need to think about it a lot.

Fortunately Ebony and Cull survived. Cull actually lost one hand and is still healing from intense internal damage. Ebony got out with scratches , with many many scratches and spaceship destruction pushed his magical exhaustion to the limit. Half of his elite forces are out of commission for some time.

For now, he will focus on new intel. He cannot afford high risk movements any time soon.

——

- Your Highness

- Nova Prime

We all were back at the table in another high security room. Nova Prime and Denarian were wary. Of course they are. Brunnhilde ramped battlecruiser and Harrow barely had a scratch. No need to mention multiple destroyed dropships. I personally massacred all ground troops that made through air blockage. Blood and body parts is still covering huge part of the city. No count for collateral damage to buildings. If they would not be wary, then they would be stupid. And I don't deal with stupid people.

The funny part? Bruce was getting equally wary glances. Just think about it. Why he is here and why he was left out of battle. Unknown and smart people a wary of unknown.

- Xandar and Nova Corp are in your debs Your Highness.

- I accept your debs and will honour it, as a appropriate.

Magic of political language. Accepted deps is a first step for proper political alliances and it is a known path. Contradictory to unknown, known gives an illusion of control and easy any fears. We speak civil language so we follow civil protocols. No need to worry to be assaulted for no other reason.

- As we discussed before, we already in a process of finalizing plans to deploy multiples agents with the same case to unknown regions. Is there anything else that we can assist your Highness?

Translation: get a hell out of here. Please.

- 24 hours. We eat, sleep, do some shopping and leave Xandar. Your have my communication channel contact. I could appreciate any intel on Thanos movements if possible.

Translation: you wanna alliance - prove your worth.

- Very well. Please do not hesitate to contact us if needed.

Translation: I know rules. Be in touch.

After that we left and I directed us to remote resort on a tropical island. I did not have a vacation for over a millennium!