In the vast starry sky, Mar-Vell stood in front of the bridge control console, frowning as she looked at the files coming through the Kree military system on the screen.

"Did something happen?" At that moment, Josh's voice rang out on the bridge.

"It's so late, why aren't you resting?" Mar-Vell asked without turning her head. Although there was no sun or moon in space, standard timekeeping still existed. The Kree's standard time was slightly different from Earth's, but not by much. It was definitely the middle of the night.

"…Looks like something really did happen, you're even talking nonsense. Since when do we need that much rest?" Josh joked.

After becoming superhuman, they didn't need as much rest. They still needed sleep, just certainly not as much as ordinary people, who needed seven or eight hours every day. Even an hour of rest was more than enough.

"You're right, I must be out of it… But this is a military secret… Well, I guess secrets don't matter much to you. Do you remember the destruction of the Centaurians we came across on Planet Badoon?" Mar-Vell asked, patting her forehead.

"Of course, very clearly!" Josh answered.

A secret doesn't matter to me? Tsk, don't underestimate me.

Not only did he remember it well, but he had already secretly intercepted those people.

"Those Centaurians and slaves gathered by the Badoons were supposed to be sent to the front lines as battle slaves after we left. But on the way, the transport fleet was attacked, the escort troops were wiped out, and the two transport ships disappeared!" Mar-Vell sighed.

"Wow, that's hard to believe. I thought that, given the strength of your Kree Empire, no one would dare attack you. But getting attacked on the way to the frontlines—could it have been done by your enemy civilization? That… Xandar (Nova Empire), right?" Josh asked with a surprised look. Honestly, pretending to be innocent in front of the actual victim after doing something bad felt strangely satisfying.

"Normally, Xandar would be the biggest suspect, but not this time. According to the investigation team, the ones who hijacked those two cargo ships were most likely Ravagers—basically like pirates on your Earth. Honestly, I don't know where they got the guts. But, based on the battle damage reports—over a thousand combat ships were destroyed, and many well-known Ravager teams were involved—there's no doubt it was them… These guys must be crazy!" Mar-Vell said with a strange look.

Since when have the Ravagers dared to challenge the empire like this? Had the Kree really weakened that much?

"Who knows? Maybe someone is pushing them from behind. But it's already happened, so the only thing left is to strike back and reclaim your honor. Why? does this incident affects you too?" Josh asked curiously.

"…Yes, it does. I'm stationed nearby, so I've been drafted for the mission… Sorry, Josh, we won't be able to go to Hala anymore," Mar-Vell said with an apologetic smile, finally revealing the reason she was upset.

Kree people were still people. She had finally gotten a long vacation and had planned to show her friend her home, but then she was dragged back to duty. Of course she was annoyed.

"...," Josh paused in surprise after hearing Mar-Vell's words.

Damn, he had only hijacked two cargo ships, and now he couldn't visit Hala openly. Was this what they called shooting yourself in the foot?

"Oh no, that's a shame. But duty is more important. Still, if you've been drafted, what about us?" Josh asked.

"Although it's a shame, you'll probably have to come with me. Since this is a military operation, you might have to stay on my ship the whole time," Mar-Vell said apologetically.

"…We have to stay on the ship the whole time? That's terrible news," Josh said, frowning.

"Stay on Mar-Vell's ship the entire time? That wouldn't work. While he could use the hyperspace communication technology from the Star Wars universe to contact his subordinates, there was still a chance that the Kree military would notice.

Josh wasn't the type who liked being tied down.

"Sorry, but this is the safest option. I'll be working with a lot of military fleets, and you, as aliens, probably shouldn't be seen… I can't just drop you off on some random planet, right?" Mar-Vell said helplessly.

When she wasn't on duty, bringing a few alien civilians into Kree Empire public areas wasn't a big deal. But once it was an official mission, everything changed.

"I actually think that's a good idea," Josh said firmly.

"What?" Mar-Vell almost thought she had misheard.

"I said you can drop us off on a random planet, and then you can go do your mission," Josh repeated.

"Do you know what you're saying? Your temporary identities are only valid if I'm with you. If I leave, you'll be stuck in the Empire, unable to move freely. If anything happens to you, I won't be able to help. It's way too risky! No way!" Mar-Vell refused flatly.

Leaving three people from a low-level civilization on an unfamiliar planet without an insider guide was basically asking for disaster.

Especially since many planets in the Kree Empire weren't safe places—on Earth, even cities in the same country could have wildly different levels of safety, let alone entire planets.

If Mar-Vell hadn't been part of a special forces unit with temporary authority beyond Hala, she wouldn't have dared to bring Josh and the others into space in the first place.

"I know what I'm saying, Mar-Vell. But please believe me—we can take care of ourselves," Josh said sincerely.

But Mar-Vell remained firm.

Their argument quickly brought over Margaret and Carter.

"Mar-Vell, we think you should also find somewhere to drop us off. We can handle ourselves. If we stay with you, we'll only get in your way… And I'm pretty sure bringing friends during a mission goes against your military rules, right?" Carter said.

After understanding the cause of the argument, it was no surprise that both Carter and Margaret sided with Josh.

What Carter said made sense, and it was true in almost every country on Earth.

She didn't believe that the Kree Empire—basically a military state—would be more lenient than Earth governments when it came to this.

Mar-Vell couldn't argue with that.

It was true—bringing Josh and the others on the ship during a mission broke military rules. If anyone found out, the lightest punishment would be a military trial.

"…Alright then, if you're really set on this… But the planets within Kree territory along my route aren't ideal for you to stay on. I've decided to send you here," Mar-Vell said as she worked at the console. Soon, a holographic image of a gray planet appeared before the group.

As a native, Mar-Vell knew well that the strict systems of the Kree Empire weren't suited for outsiders without proper identification like Josh and the others. So, the planet she chose wasn't under Kree control—it was located in the Andromeda Galaxy, just outside the influence of both the Kree and the Nova Empire, near Sovereign territory. It was a neutral planet called Contraxia.

It was a planet both freezing cold and burning hot.

It was cold because of its climate; most of the surface stayed around minus ten degrees Celsius year-round and was covered in snow and ice. While not lifeless, it clearly wasn't meant for comfortable living.

But its "heat" came from its status as a cosmic pleasure hub. Its proximity to three powerful civilizations—Nova, Kree, and Sovereign—without being in any war zones made it a hotspot for galactic megacorps. These corporations had transformed Contraxia into the largest entertainment and luxury destination in the region.

Whatever pleasure, entertainment, or service you could imagine in the galaxy, Contraxia had it.

As long as you had the money.

In short, Contraxia was the galactic version of Las Vegas.

Law enforcement wasn't exactly top-tier, but if you had money, your safety was mostly assured. After all, it wouldn't have become the go-to party planet for wealthy guests across the galaxy without a minimum level of safety.

The best part? No one on Contraxia cared about a visitor's background or legal status. That's why it was so popular among Ravagers—they spent most of their looted fortune right there.

The planet even showed up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where Yondu and Stakar Ogord once raised hell with their crews.

And its most infamous attraction? Female cyborg entertainers.

Mar-Vell's choice hit Josh's sweet spot perfectly.

Not because he was thinking anything naughty—besides, his wife was right there. The real appeal, though, was that Contraxia was close to Morag, where the Power Stone was located. It would also give him a great opportunity to observe and potentially connect with the Nova Empire and the Sovereign, two of the most renowned civilizations in the galaxy.

It was a gold mine.

"That's settled, then. But there's one thing I have to make clear," Mar-Vell added seriously. "This planet is expensive. With the money I can spare, you'll only be able to live there at a modest level for about three months—so don't go overboard."

Though Mar-Vell earned a lot from her position in the Kree Special Forces, Contraxia's prices were far beyond her budget. Supporting Josh and his two companions there for three months would practically drain her savings.

And if they tried to live like they did on Earth? Forget three months—even three days might bankrupt them.

Luckily, as a Kree soldier, Mar-Vell didn't need to spend her own money on regular supplies.

"…Don't worry about us," Josh said with a smile to reassure her. "We're not as fragile as you think. We've all been through tough times, right, Carter? Besides, the standard you're providing us is already more than generous."

Carter nodded in agreement. Before she met Josh, she had endured countless hardships as a spy during the war. As for Josh's background, she knew it well. Before he met Margaret, he was a poor kid with nothing to his name.

Margaret was the only one who'd lived a life of comfort since childhood, but even so, Carter knew full well that Margaret wasn't the pampered type.

"Good to hear," Mar-Vell said, letting out a small sigh of relief.

With the decision made, she immediately turned the ship around and set course for Contraxia.

Though she had been conscripted into action, her reporting deadline was still flexible enough. Dropping Josh and the others off wouldn't delay her mission.

About a week later, they arrived safely at Contraxia.

And during the journey, a new force quietly joined Josh's ranks.

This group consisted of the Centaurians from the two cargo ships that Vereesa's Ranger Fleet had hijacked.

After freeing the Kree war slaves, Vereesa followed Josh's instructions and approached the Centaurians aboard the captured vessels.

They didn't hesitate for long.

Having lost their home planet, and filled with hatred for the Kree and the Badoon, the displaced Centaurians quickly pledged their loyalty when Vereesa offered them an olive branch.

Of course, this only applied to the Centaurians.

Like the most famous Centaurian in the Marvel universe, Yondu Udonta, Centaurians are easily recognized by their blue skin and distinct features. They mostly knew each other and had families, which made them much easier to manage and organize.

But when it came to the rest of the liberated war slaves—those from various other civilizations, a chaotic mix of unknown backgrounds—that's where things got tricky for Josh.

Should he execute them all? That felt like a waste.

Keep them alive? They weren't as easy to control as the Centaurians.

Not all of them were innocent victims like the Centaurians whose civilization had been wiped out. Some of them might have been dangerous criminals even before they were enslaved.

Of course, there were surely good people among them too.

So Josh had to be very careful about how to deal with them.

It was unfortunate that he wasn't with the Ranger Fleet directly. If he were, the simplest solution would have been to send the questionable ones to another world to mine minerals.

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