The Sovereign!
A sprawling metropolis of science fiction grandeur. Towering, otherworldly architecture stretched toward the heavens, flying craft of every shape and size weaved through the skies, and the streets teemed with countless contraptions, some familiar, most utterly alien.
And yet, despite all the gleaming technology and dazzling prosperity, the people still walked on two legs.
Buildings, too, were mostly grounded, though a few floated elegantly above the streets. Impressive as they were, they lacked the practicality of structures rooted in solid earth. After all, going up and down all the time was just too troublesome.
At a corner of a bustling avenue, a figure clad in resplendent gold paused to take in the sight, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"You have to admit, the Sovereign's technology is remarkable. An advanced civilization at the peak of science and progress, unlimited energy, endless marvels. It's enough to make anyone envious…"
He muttered under his breath, squinting as he looked around.
"But if there's one downside… It's that everything here is just too damn gold. My eyes are going to give out from all this shine!"
This glittering figure was, of course, none other than Arthur himself.
After stowing away his crew and even his spaceship within the Disassemble Space, he had set course for the Sovereign's golden homeworld.
The journey, however, had been far from smooth. The Sovereign's obsession with cosmic surveillance meant their planet was encircled by countless devices of unknown purpose. Worse still was their swarm of drones, drifting aimlessly through space like a plague of mechanical wasps.
Arthur's cloaking tech kept him hidden from scanners, but a living, breathing human suddenly appearing in the void of space? One careless glance from a Sovereign patrol and he'd be spotted instantly.
And if that happened? Well, things would get… interesting.
A "golden Sovereign" nonchalantly taking a stroll through outer space, such a phenomenon would be hailed as a monumental leap in evolution. Arthur might even find himself invited straight to the royal palace for study.
Which, admittedly, could save him some trouble. But the risks along the way were far too high.
What if someone casually asked, 'So where are you from? What do you do for a living?'
Arthur couldn't exactly reply, 'Oh, I was born in a great nation and became a superhero', now could he?
So he had no choice but to evade and maneuver. A painstaking effort that finally allowed him to slip into the planet's atmosphere.
But that was when the real problems began.
After endless detours and close calls, Arthur finally set foot on solid ground, in a Sovereign city whose name he didn't even know.
And immediately, he realized two things:
He was completely, hopelessly lost.
He didn't have a single coin to his name.
Whether Sovereign currency was accepted beyond this world, Arthur had no idea. Either way, he had none of it. Back in his days drifting the galaxy with Star-Lord, he'd earned a fair amount of credits… but he'd left it all behind at Camp Lehigh.
Now, here he was, a penniless drifter, stranded in a city made entirely of gold.
"Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic," Arthur muttered, slumping against a wall and staring up at the shimmering skyline. "Wasn't I supposed to be here to negotiate?"
With a heavy sigh, he slipped into a deserted alley. Activating the Eye of Horus, he cloaked himself in golden energy, weaving an illusion around his form. Then, reaching into the Disassemble Space, he pulled someone out.
Star-Lord!
The man had barely stepped out when his eyes snapped open. He caught himself with a hand on the ground before his back gave out, glanced around in bewilderment, then locked eyes with Arthur.
"Who the hell are you?"
Arthur, who had only shifted into his disguise after storing everyone in the Disassemble Space, rubbed his face with one hand.
"Who do you think I am?"
Star-Lord immediately realized what a dumb question that was.
If Arthur weren't here, he never would've been released in the first place. And with only this glittering "golden man" standing before him, coupled with Arthur's infamous knack for disguise, the answer was obvious.
"So… we've arrived?" Star-Lord glanced around again. "Where is this? The royal palace?"
Arthur deadpanned.
"Yes. This is a top-secret alley behind the palace. Our mission is to dig a tunnel straight into the throne room. And the reason I called you out, my dear Star-Lord, is to help me dig."
To drive the point home, he actually pulled a shovel from the Disassemble Space and thrust it toward him.
"Come on. The future belongs to us!" Star-Lord rolled up his sleeves, ready to grab it. "It's a bit of a stupid plan, sure. But since it's you, I trust it."
Arthur's face darkened.
"Unbelievable. Drax has been getting smarter lately, and meanwhile your IQ seems to be plummeting."
He snatched the shovel back.
"First question, can you use credits in Sovereign cities?"
"Of course you can!" Star-Lord looked baffled.
"It's called universal currency for a reason. Why wouldn't it work here? Don't tell me the Sovereign aren't part of the universe?"
Arthur shook his head.
"You can't use it on earth."
"That's because Earth isn't fully integrated with the galaxy yet." Star-Lord leaned in, his tone unusually serious. "But when it does… there'll be chaos. Once civilizations fuse and humanity opens its window to the cosmos, plenty of systems are going to collapse. Especially--- " he tapped the air for emphasis, "the monetary system."
Arthur blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Didn't think you were capable of saying something that makes sense."
"Hey! What do you take me for? You think I spend all my time drinking and chasing women?" Star-Lord protested.
Arthur smiled sweetly.
"Well… do you?"
"…That's not the only thing I do!" Star-Lord gritted his teeth.
"So who told you that line? Gamora?"
Star-Lord coughed.
"As a notorious, no, as a famous bounty hunter, I obviously have to know these things."
Arthur let the denial slide and moved on.
"Second question, where exactly is the royal palace? I need to figure out how I'm supposed to get there."
Star-Lord slapped his forehead.
"I actually forgot about that. And Gamora didn't even remind me…"
He dug a small disk from his pocket and tossed it over.
"Coordinates and maps are on there. As for transport? Best bet is to find a quiet spot, pull out the ship, cloak it, and just fly straight in. Because here, if you don't have legal ID, you can't do anything."
Arthur blinked slowly.
"I could always steal one."
Star-Lord leaned forward, practically glowing with the joy of delivering bad news.
"Oh, my righteous friend, let me crush that little hope of yours. Sovereigns get their ID chips implanted under the skin the moment they're born. Can't lose them. Can't be stolen. No loopholes!"