chapter iv.
THE SEARCH FOR PETER QUILL

THE RAVAGERS WERE IN AN UPROAR. The starship hadn't stopped speaking ill of Peter Quill ever since they left Morag. None of them could believe the utter betrayal, most of Astrea Voss. She sat in silence, throat dry and tongue tied, trying to think of why her boyfriend would ever do this to the Ravagers, and to her. Her thoughts traveled so far that the woman was questioning if their love was even honest anymore. That if Peter Quill had used his lone trip to Morag as an escape from both their relationship and the crew.

"I can't believe Quill would do this to us." Felix's voice was bitter as he took another sip of his beverage. "Yondu has always favoured Quill over any of us. Maybe now the blue bastard will realize where his prodigal son's true loyalty lies."

Jaide scoffed. "I wouldn't get your hopes up there, Felix. Remember when Quill screwed us over and completely messed up that deal we had with the Kharrulion market? Yondu seemed to forgive Quill rather quickly then. I'm sure he'll do the same now. Honestly, I'm not even sure he'll take this whole bounty thing seriously. Yondu's just putting on a show so the rest of us think that he's a worthy man to follow. But when someone contacts for the bounty prize? He won't harm a fucking hair on Peter's head. Just like always."

"Jaide─" Midas went to chastise her.

"What?" Jaide cut her off. "It's the truth. Yondu acts all high and mighty to keep his image. But think about it. Who really does all the dirty work here? We are the ones given assignments while he sits comfortably in that fucking throne of his." She turned to look across the room at where Yondu was sitting and she glared. "I'm glad Quill took our money. Maybe this time it will teach Yondu a damn lesson."

"Careful, Jaide, you almost sound envious of Quill," warned Bael.

She glared his way, "And maybe I am. Like I said: I'm tired of Yondu sitting around doing nothing."

Midas rolled her eyes at her words. "You're just drunk."

"I may be a smidgen intoxicated, but you know I'm right, Starr. Yondu plays games with us and he is always the winner. Quill was just tired of losing and that's why he left us."

"Jaide's right," said Bael. "I can understand why Quill would do this."

Midas sighed. "I think we've talked enough about Peter Quill, haven't you?" She made a gesture toward Astrea, whose silence had not gone unnoticed by any of them.

Bael set his gaze on his blonde friend. "Astrea," he called, capturing her attention. "I don't think Quill would ever leave you. I don't think he intended to hurt you either. But think of it this way: unlike the rest of us, he was taken by Yondu and forced to become a Ravager. He never wanted this life and we all know it. Quill only endured it all for you. Maybe he just couldn't take it anymore."

"While Bael may be correct, I have to wonder . . ." Felix leaned forward on the table, his gaze fixated on Astrea Voss. "Did you know about this?"

His accusation made her insides burn. Astrea stared with an incredulous look and her nostrils flared, fists clenching in anger.

"Felix, that's enough," Midas warned.

"No," Felix shook his head. "Strikes me kind of odd you spend every waking moment with him, and the very next morning after you enjoy his company in the sack, he runs away with our money. Was this some ploy to have money so you both can run away together?"

Astrea's jaw clenched and her eyes hardened. "You can think what you want about me, Felix, but I'm a woman of loyalty. And my loyalty lies within our captain Yondu Udonta. I didn't know a goddamn thing." Without another word, she stood up from the table, bumping it harshly and making their drinks to spill. Astrea walked until she reached her chambers, where she collapsed on her cot with tears in her eyes.

A few moments passed before she heard a soft knock on her door and the voice of her best friend ask, "Astrea, can I come in?"

"Yeah," Astrea called.

The door opened and Midas walked in. The brunette crossed the small space and laid down on the bunk beside Astrea. It was silent for a moment before she turned her head and looked at her best friend with a sigh. "I know this is a stupid question to ask but . . . are you okay?"

Astrea shook her head.

"Look, don't listen to what Felix says. He's just bitter over the whole thing. They all are. Hell, even I am. When I see Quill again, I'll kick his ass. Not for taking the money, but for leaving my sister this way."

Astrea felt her corneas sting with a fresh wave of tears and a smile curve onto her face upon her friend's words. She was fighting so hard not to let her tears them, and Midas could tell.

"Why would he do this, Midas?" Astrea asked. Her voice sounded so weak and broken that Midas couldn't help but frown.

"I think it's as Bael said," Midas replied in a gentle voice. "Peter never wanted this life. We all know that. But he loves you, Astrea. That's why he stayed for as long as he could."

"Does he?" Astrea's was strained as she turned to meet her friend's gaze. "Does he love me? Because it doesn't feel that way."

"Don't say that. Peter Quill loves you more than anything. Even a fool can see that."

"If he loved me, why wouldn't he tell me he was planning to leave?"

"I think maybe Peter just wanted to protect you from Yondu," Midas replied. "I mean, Jaide is right. Yondu favors Quill above everyone else. He may try to keep up his image by appearing intimidating and such, but his soft spot is Peter Quill. It always has been. But I don't think Yondu is going to let him off so easily this time. Morag would have struck us the mother load. Maybe Peter just didn't want Yondu to be mad at you too."

Astrea pondered her words. Maybe she's right. Maybe he does still love me and he just didn't want Yondu to paint a target on both our backs? Still, why couldn't he have just told me what he was going to do? Why would he leave me in the dark like this?

"I hate him for leaving."

"I hate him for leaving you too," Midas said. She turned and rested her head on Astrea's shoulder. "I promise you that when we find Peter, we'll show him just what happens when you leave a girl behind with a broken heart."

Astrea cracked a smile. "I love you."

"I know," Midas smirked. "I love you, too."

　
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Twenty-four hours had passed by and the Ravagers had not yet heard from Peter Quill or anyone else who may have spotted him. And Astrea Voss hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. The woman tossed and turned in her bunk all night. Every time she attempted to get some shuteye, she would think of Peter and the way he used to hold her as she lay curled into his side, his scent invading her nostrils and his hand drawing patterns on the small of her back. Gods did she hate him for making her feel this way.

When she finised eating the breakfast Midas had brought for her, they both headed to the bridge to see what Yondu planned for them to do today.

"Well, well, look who awakened," Yondu greeted, swiveling in his chair to look at Astrea. "For a while there, I was beginning to think you had jumped ship to join Quill."

Astrea followed her arms over her chest and her eyes hardened. "Unlike him, I know where my loyalties lie."

Yondu studied her expression for a moment, and when he realized that Astrea would never abandon him or the Ravagers, his lips twitched upward. "Good to hear. "Now, Felix, set our course for Xandar. I want to have a little chat with the Broker."

"Why would we go back there?" asked Kraglin.

"We received transmission from an old friend who says Quill was spotted there," Yondu explained. "I want to see with my own eyes if he sold the orb to the Broker. And if not, then we can find out where the Broker sent him."

Bael raised an eyebrow. "You think Quill is stupid enough to go back there and sell the orb to the very man we were hired by?"

"I think he's just stupid enough," Astrea agreed with Yondu. "Peter knows that the Broker was giving us the best deal we've come across. He'd want to make sure he got all of that money, even if there was a risk of crossing our path."

Midas pursed her lips. "Makes sense. Alright, Xandar it is. You heard the Cap'n, Adell. Move your ass."

Felix rolled his eyes, before swiveling around in the pilot's chair and setting their course for Xandar.

　
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When they Ravagers arrived on Xandar, their leader, Yondu Udonta, ordered a small crew ─ Kraglin, Midas Starr and Astrea Voss ─ to accompany him. After grabbing her blaster and attaching it to her thigh, Astrea followed him out of the ship and into the city. The four of them walked in silence through, weaving through the crowd of Xandarians that were going about their day.

Midas glanced toward her best friend and found a troubled expression on her face. She nudged her friend, bringing Astrea's gaze upon herself. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Astrea replied. "Just want to get this over with and find Peter already."

"We'll find him," Midas promised. "If not with Yondu, then we'll go off on our own to find him."

Astrea couldn't help but smile. Midas was her support system, her closet friend. The brunette has always been there for her through thick and thin. She knew Midas would absolutely take a pod and leave the crew to help her find Peter Quill on their own because that's just the kind of person she was. She'd do anything for Astrea, and Astrea would do anything for her.

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Astrea replied as they arrived at the Broker's shop.

The massive door slid open upon their arrival and the four of them walked inside. The room was a pristine white, glistening in the light as though the Broker cleaned his shop with the finest and most expensive supplies. There were shelves and cases full of rare and beautiful and expensive trinkets all over the place.

"Welcome, welcome," the Broker greeted as he emerged from the back room. Then he saw it was Yondu and his muscles tensed. The man gulped. "Yondu, what a pleasure. What is it I may help you with today?"

Yondu walked over to an encasing on his left and peered in through the glass at a small, blue trinket. "Do you got any other cute little buggers like this one? I like to stick 'em all in a row on my control console."

"I can't tell if you're joking or not," said the Broker.

"He's being fully serious," Kraglin replied.

"It's true," Midas nodded, "you should see his console."

"We've lost count of how many there is," added Astrea.

The Broker walked around the counter to approach them. "In that case, I can show you─"

Yondu cut him off with a laugh as he straightened up and turned to face him. "But first, you gonna tell me what this orb is, and why everybody cares so damn much about it. And then you gonna tell me, who out there might wanna buy it."

The Broker hesitated. "Sir, the high-end community is a─"

Yondu cut him off, mocking him by speaking gibberish.

"The high-end community is a─"

Again, Yondu cut him off, and Midas chuckled despite herself.

"It's a tight-knit─"

Yondu interrupted him again with more gibberish, and even now, Astrea and Kraglin couldn't help but smirk at the flustered expression the Broker wore.

"Tight-knit─"

Kraglin laughed when his leader cut the man off again.

"The high-end community is a very tight-knit─"

Once more, Yondu cut him off, and finally the Broker snapped.

"I cannot possibly betray the confidentiality of my buyers!" the Broker exclaimed.

Yondu pushed back his coat and whistled. His arrow flew from its holster and hovered toward the Broker's face. "Now, who again is this buyer of yours?"

And the Broker folded like a cheap suit.

"They call him the Collector."

Astrea's eyebrows furrowed. She'd heard of that name once before. Someone was talking about him when she was gambling one night. "The Collector?"

Yondu glanced over his shoulder at where Astrea was standing. "You know 'em?"

"I've heard of him," Astrea replied. "They call him the Collector because of the rare objects he has in his possession."

"That's right," nodded the Broker.

"Where can we find him?" Yondu asked.

a/n: omg i cannot BELIEVE that this fic has reached 1k readers!! thank you guys so much for all your support, it really means a lot 🥺 the next chapter, as you may have already figured, is the scene on knowhere, which means astrea and peter will finally be reuniting 👀