Prologue
The business with Ego was wearing Yondu down. Every so often, the man would call, give a name and species of the child, and then send specific coordinates. The ravegers would go to the planet, find the kid at that specific place, bring them aboard, then turn tail and head to Ego’s planet for the drop. Yondu had done this routine seven times now. Seven children had been on his ship one at a time and he’d never seen them again after he dropped them with their father.
He could remember their names and their faces. No matter how much he told himself while he had them that once he dropped them off he wouldn’t remember them. It was after the fourth things got strange, but it was the seventh time Yondu got a clue in that nothing was right about this. By then it was already too late to grab the kid he’d brought and run. Ego already had left with him.
It had been a doll that clued Yondu in. A little doll, dusty and cold, that made him realize the little girl he’d delivered who carried that doll wasn’t around to take care of it no more. It was discarded on the ground outside the almost palace that Ego seemed to live in. What truly ran Yondu’s blood cold was when he then saw another toy, a trinket he’d let one of the boys keep, on the ground not to far off. Shattered and half buried.
Yondu had the doll in hand and scooped up the trinket pieces before rushing back to the M-ship he’d brought down. He was off the planet as fast as the ship could go. When he’d docked on the Eclector, doll and broken trinket still in hand, Yondu began tossing orders at his first and second mates.
“I want all contact from Ego blocked. Y’here me?”
Kraglin was baffled at the sudden orders. “Sir?”
“The bastard killed them. All of them. He’s got Tarro, couldn’t save ‘em. Greer and Lobo are gone too.”
Yondu tossed the doll at Kragin for proof and extended his hand with the trinket pieces. The first mate stared at the items with dawning horror. Those two kids never let their toys out of their sight. Greer mended the doll herself if it was ripped, going as far as to tear up her own clothes just to patch the doll. Lobo treasured the trinket as it was the first gift he’d ever received.
“Captain,” Horuz said with urgency, “Ego’s on the line now.”
Yondu froze temporarily before a growl tore from his throat and he stormed to the bridge. He found Ego’s face on communications screen as soon as he entered.
“Ah, Captain Yondu,” Ego said cheerily, “sorry to disturb you so soon but something important has come up.”
Yondu tried to push back the hope that Ego decided to have him come get Tarro, alive and well. No matter how much he wished for that, and for the chance the others were alive and just hiding, he knew it couldn’t be true. Not when this jackass was on the screen and not another soul was around. No sounds of children laughing and playing. Even when he had been on the planet.
“Another one of my kids is in trouble. None of his own doing, he’s slightly younger than the others have been. Four in his species years. His mother seems to be unable to care for him though. I think it’s in our best interest if you could go ahead and bring him to me. I’ll of course compensate you for any trouble having one so young could do, but I think all the older kids would have done more damage.”
“Speaking of,” Yondu interjected, “how is them kids?”
Ego had a brief look of surprise before he smoothly replied, “Oh, the kids are great. Little balls of energy and happy as can be.”
“Then where are they?”
Ego was briefly silent before quickly saying, “They’re around. I believe they’ve been playing elsewhere most of today.”
Before anymore words could be exchanged, Ego was giving the coordinates for the pick up.
“His name’s Peter Jason Quill, he’s a Terran.”
“Terran? You know how backwater Terra is? They can’t even hardly make it past their own atmosphere with out risking blowing themselves up.” Yondu scowled.
Ego nodded, “Yes, I noticed quite a bit of that. Peter’s mother was a rather open minded lady, practically fell over in joy when she heard I was from the stars. Sadly, I think she’ll already be gone around the time you arrive to Earth-er Terra.”
As soon as the call with Ego was ended, Yondu’s orders to block anymore contact with him went through. Yondu spent an hour pondering what to do with the information on the Terran kid. Ego had said the kid was four in Terran years, pretty young then if he was younger than the other kids. Yondu wondered if he was the only way Ego had to retrieve these kids. Obviously not, there were ruthless mercenaries who’d snatch kids by the dozen just for Ego’s price. A Terran child wouldn’t last long if one of them got their hands on him.
So as he sat in his quarters, his mate glaring at nothing in particular and still clutching the doll Yondu had grabbed, Yondu made his decision.
“We’re getting the kid.”
Kraglin’s head immediately whipped around to stare in disbelief. “Your gonna-”
“We ain’t delivering ‘em to that jackass. We just got to get ‘em where Ego can’t find ‘em.” Yondu filled in.
“Then what?”
Yondu didn’t miss the sound of hopefulness etched into Kraglin’s voice. He sighed and shrugged, “Guess we’ll have to keep ‘em. If ya want ‘em, y’know.”