Back with Gamora, she was taking a brief respite from training the first batch of farmers from earlier. Embo had ventured into the nearby forest, methodically surveying the natural landscape for any defensive advantages they could exploit.
The towering fungal trees appeared remarkably sturdy and could serve as excellent barriers for both aerial and ground-based assaults. Their thick trunks and interwoven canopy would provide natural cover and choke points for any advancing enemy forces.
Gamora eventually spotted Seripas using the circular saw attachment on his arm to cut through one of the massive fungal trees. As the towering plant began to topple, the armored figure quickly moved to catch it, but she could see him struggling with the considerable weight.
Without hesitation, Gamora sprinted forward and drew her sword. With one fluid motion, she sliced the tree cleanly in half, significantly reducing the load the mechanical bounty hunter had to manage.
Although Seripas successfully caught the upper portion of the fungal tree, his suit suddenly began to spark and jolt erratically, servos whining in distress.
"Seripas?" Gamora asked with genuine concern.
Suddenly, the suit's helmet popped off with a mechanical hiss, revealing a diminutive alien operating the mechanical body from within.
"D-don't look! I-I'm having a suit malfunction," the tiny alien stammered nervously.
The small occupant frantically worked at various controls inside the chest cavity, desperately trying to restore the suit to normal functionality. However, it was too late—he had already seen the expression of surprise on the green-skinned warrior's face.
The real Seripas sighed in defeat, his shoulders sagging. "I'm not very intimidating, am I?"
Gamora simply offered him an encouraging smile, her expression warm and understanding.
"Size isn't everything, Seripas," she said reassuringly. "You'd be amazed at some of the giants my team and I have faced and brought down. Want to know our secret?"
He looked up at her expectantly as she gently patted his small head. "Intelligence and determination go a long way."
She then placed her hand on the mechanical suit he piloted, and he regarded her with an expression of deep appreciation.
Re-entering his mech suit and sealing the chest compartment around himself, Seripas placed his right mechanical hand over his heart in a gesture of gratitude.
"Thank you for your understanding."
Soon after this exchange, the two separated and continued their respective missions to prepare the village for the coming battle.
When Gamora returned to where Embo was training the farmers, she arrived just in time to see one of them angrily throwing his farming implement to the ground in frustration.
"The bounty hunter's right!" Dilanni complained loudly, tossing his staff down with force. "Every minute you waste teaching us how to twirl these ridiculous sticks is time you could spend beating up those pirates yourselves!"
"And how exactly would that benefit you in the long run?" Gamora challenged, her voice carrying an edge of authority. "Another band of pirates will inevitably show up here. Are you planning to abandon part of your harvest every season?"
"If you don't let us handle this properly, there won't be any more harvest seasons!" Dilanni shot back defiantly.
"With that attitude, you're probably right," Rocket interjected, having just arrived to observe the training session. "You do realize you people are prime targets for scumbags like Hondo and his crew of idiots, right? This won't be the last time someone tries to muscle in on your operation."
Dilanni simply snorted dismissively and kicked his staff aside, leaving the other Felucians looking around uncertainly, unsure whether to continue or abandon the training.
Thanos' adopted daughter stomped her foot firmly on the ground, the sharp sound causing everyone to immediately turn their attention to her.
"Alright, everyone back to your positions. We're continuing," Gamora commanded with authority, resuming her role as instructor while Embo returned to his own preparations.
As the sun began its descent over the valley, casting long shadows across the landscape, a lone Weequay pirate observed their activities from the rocky cliffs above.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" he muttered to himself, peering through a pair of worn macrobinoculars. "Looks like they're actually getting ready to fight back."
The scout continued his surveillance, making mental notes of defensive positions and the number of combatants he could identify.
Meanwhile, Sugi walked through a section of the village, engaged in conversation with Quill about defensive strategies. Something caught her attention in her peripheral vision—a glint of metal from the clifftops above. Her training kicked in immediately as she focused on the anomaly.
"Contact! Scout on the cliff!" she announced sharply, pointing toward the elevated position.
The Weequay pirate quickly scrambled to his feet, but not before several blaster bolts began raining down on his position, sending chips of rock flying in all directions.
He looked around frantically and spotted the source of the incoming fire—a droid hovering in the air above him, its repulsors humming ominously.
Recognizing an opportunity to eliminate the enemy reconnaissance, HK-47 had activated his borrowed aero-rig and taken to the skies. With his newfound aerial mobility, the assassin droid was practically euphoric as he pursued his target with methodical precision.
"Joyful exclamation: Finally, aerial assassination protocols engaged!" HK-47 announced with disturbing enthusiasm.
The pirate broke into a desperate run toward his concealed speeder bike, while HK-47 continued to lay down suppressing fire. However, rather than simply eliminating the scout efficiently, the droid chose to prolong the engagement, deliberately missing vital shots to extend his enjoyment of the hunt.
Just as the pirate reached his speeder and was about to mount it, a metallic disc suddenly flew through the air and struck the Weequay squarely in the chest. The impact sent him stumbling backward, gasping for breath.
As he tried to regain his footing, he saw the imposing figure of Embo charging toward him at full sprint. The pirate threw a desperate punch, but the bounty hunter easily caught the extended arm, twisted it behind the scout's back, and with one swift motion, snapped his neck cleanly.
Embo released the lifeless body, letting it crumple to the ground. Moments later, he looked up to see HK-47 descending with the hunter's distinctive circular hat-weapon in his mechanical grasp.
"Grateful acknowledgment: An efficient kill, organic. Your technique is admirable," HK-47 noted as he returned the weapon to its owner.
Embo nodded his appreciation as he secured his hat back in place.
As this exchange concluded, the other team members arrived at the scene moments later.
"That was impressively quick work," Star-Lord observed, crouching down to retrieve the scout's blaster rifle. He tossed the weapon to Rocket, who immediately began examining it with professional interest, humming thoughtfully as he considered possible modifications.
"Yeah... but when this scout fails to report back to Hondo, they'll be here much sooner than we anticipated," Sugi said grimly, her expression troubled.
"Then we'd better make sure we're ready for them," Gamora announced with determination.
"Gleeful anticipation: Finally! It is time to engage in wholesale meatbag termination!" HK-47 declared with mechanical satisfaction.
Meanwhile, at Hondo's camp, a Weequay subordinate approached the pirate lord's position. Hondo was currently enjoying his morning meal while reviewing supply manifests for an upcoming raid he intended to participate in.
"Boss, boss! We got a problem," the subordinate called out urgently.
"Yes, yes, what is it now? Can't you see I'm conducting important business here?" Hondo replied with exaggerated irritation, not looking up from his datapad.
"Our scout hasn't returned from the village. He should have been back hours ago."
Hondo's expression shifted from annoyance to contemplation, which quickly transformed into a predatory smile.
"Ah, well, well, well. So it appears our Guardian friends have decided to play the heroic protectors after all, hmm?" Hondo said, rising from his seat with theatrical flair. "Or at the very least, we now know we cannot simply waltz in and take what we want from those farmers."
"Boss, what's our next move?"
Hondo's gaze shifted to one of the several deactivated battle droids positioned around their camp perimeter.
These droids had been a fortuitous discovery. The designs appeared to be advanced prototypes from some ambitious startup hoping to compete with the Trade Federation and their established droid armies. What puzzled Hondo was why these prototypes had been equipped with such heavy armor plating and advanced weaponry—typically, prototype units were constructed from cheaper materials and basic components, certainly nothing approaching the quality of these specimens, which far exceeded even standard Separatist battle droids.
Of course, he wasn't complaining about his good fortune. His victory had come at the expense of whoever had originally commissioned these mechanical warriors, back when he'd successfully ambushed the transport convoy carrying them.
"Looks like we're going to have to collect our harvest sooner than I initially planned," Hondo announced with theatrical confidence, walking over to a heavily armored assault tank and swinging his leg over the side. "But you know what I always say... speak softly and carry a big stick. Or in this case, several big sticks with repulsor cannons."
He turned his attention back to his subordinate with a wicked grin. "Get the rest of our mechanical friends operational immediately. In the meantime, take a small team and probe the village defenses. Test their response times and capabilities."
"Should we be worried about those Guardians, boss?"
"Oh, absolutely we should be worried about the Guardians," Hondo replied with mock concern before his expression turned serious. "Which is exactly why we're not going to underestimate them this time."
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