2057 Change of Plans
Even someone as experienced as Rocket was starting to get excited.
It wasn’t just theft this time, but a complete plunder!
Usually, in order not to affect their retreat, Rocket could only selectively take some expensive goods and leave.
The plan this time was a series of operations. They would rob Targets 1, 2 and 3 in that order, and completely sweep up all the good stuff.
This was… too awesome! Rocket roared inwardly, This is a real adventure!
While they were busy, some guys came knocking with the intent of ‘acquiring’ the spaceship.
Luke took Rocket with him to warm up before their operation, and they knocked out the dozen or so guys, before going through their pockets and then throwing them hundreds of meters out.
It had to be pointed out that it was minus 20 degrees during the day on the surface of this planet, and it was snowing.
Even if most of these aliens were tougher than Earthlings, freezing for hours would still be fatal.
There were no good Samaritans here to help them out.
Those who had comrades could still be rescued, but those without… could only wait to be turned into ice sculptures.
The tattered clothes, shoes and hats the two of them looted were too disgusting, and Luke simply threw them into the special incinerator. What remained was just various firearms.
Rocket chuckled. “They’re garbage, but at least I don’t have to go out looking for guns again. If we modify them tonight, we won’t leave any clues behind during tomorrow’s operation.”
Luke hummed in response.
Both he and Rocket were firearms specialists. These weapons weren’t great, but there was no need to be too particular when robbing shady shops.
…
While Luke and Rocket were mulling over how to make a fortune, a small meeting was taking place on the Sovereign planet.
The high priest, Ayesha, was impatient with the council’s objections, and she had no choice but to end the video conference.
Then, she called for her attendant. “Put out a bounty for the Guardians on the planet where they currently are. Dead or alive, but double the price if they are captured alive.”
The female attendant lowered her head and asked carefully, “High Priestess, what’s the bounty?”
Ayesha frowned, displeased with the stupid question. “Have you been infected by those poor people? Why are you asking me that?”
The attendant bowed fearfully. “Understood. I’ll issue the bounty now.”
After leaving the hall, she cursed herself for being an idiot. Why did she mention money to the high priestess? The high priestess of Sovereign didn’t care about money at all.
Thus, the attendant found information about the mercenaries on the planet that Luke and the others were on, and set the highest price possible before issuing the bounty.
This bounty mission was released on a public platform.
There were a lot of people on the planet who dealt in intelligence. Many of them saw this business opportunity and immediately started advertising this mission.
Word also spread through friends, and friends of friends, and it soon became common knowledge — to everyone except the targets themselves.
Luke, who had just arrived on the planet, didn’t have the ability to monitor the completely unfamiliar network that was used here, so he was clueless.
It wasn’t until nightfall that Gamora finally called them and roared angrily, “D*mn it, we were ambushed. Hundreds of guys are now chasing us.”
Luke and Rocket were stunned. “What happened?”
“Where are you?”
Gamora chose to answer the more important question first. “Northwest, the hot springs 300 kilometers away.”
Luke and Rocket: Hm~~
There was a constant rumble on Gamora’s side – a very intense battle was clearly taking place.
Gamora didn’t forget to add, “Be careful. These people aren’t one party; at least a dozen groups came after us. They attacked half an hour ago and blocked the comms. We only just escaped the blockade.”
Luke and Rocket looked at each other and decisively took out the energy Gatling guns from the weapons trunk on the side before putting them into the public space storage.
In fact, Gamora and Quill had relied on the equipment in the public space storage to break out of the siege.
Otherwise, given how they had only been in their underwear when they entered the hot springs, they would’ve long been turned to dust.
The moment the Gatling guns were put into the space storage, Rocket immediately informed them, “Two Gatling guns have been put in. Hurry up and switch weapons.”
If they couldn’t compete in numbers, they could only compete in firepower.
Thankfully, the planet didn’t permit anyone other than the local Ravagers to fly spaceships or battleships here; outsiders could only land or take off through predetermined channels.
If they flew outside these predetermined channels, the energy cannons around the landing zone would open fire and blow up these rule-breakers.
Thus, the people chasing Gamora and Quill were only using small fliers, and didn’t have the absolute advantage in terms of equipment.
As soon as Rocket said that, Luke threw him something that looked like a black laptop. His eyes lit up. “Thousand Faces System?”
Luke simply nodded and took out the Thousand Faces System. He turned into an ordinary purple-skinned baldie — except for his height, he looked like Thanos.
Picking up two of the weapons that they had looted, he said quickly, “We’ve lost contact with Drax and Mantis. We have to hurry if we want to save them.”
Looking at the weapons Luke was holding, Rocket frowned. “You’re good at shooting. You should use a better one.”
Putting Groot Jr. in his pocket, Luke walked out. “Put the rest in the public space storage. You can use whatever you want. Don’t worry, we’ll get better weapons soon.”
Rocket thought for a moment and understood.
He quickly went through the remaining weapons and picked up the two best ones. “Wait for me. We’re the strongest shooting team.”
“It seems we don’t have to rob those shops anymore.” Luke chuckled. “The guys who ambushed us today will have spaceships.”
To the victor went the spoils – this was the rule on this lawless planet.
However, the prerequisite for obtaining these spoils was that you didn’t cross the bottom line of the local party in charge. Luke was very confident on this count.
Of course, if the Ravagers personally took part, don’t blame him for widening his scope and cleaning up this planet.
As a man who had fought Thanos head-on, Luke was strong enough to do anything.
…
The purple-skinned baldie and the bearded dwarf didn’t draw any attention.
There were too many spaceships in the landing zone; it would take a long while to find the Guardians’ spaceship.
Everyone was seasoned space travelers. When word got out that Quill and Gamora were being hunted down, and Drax and Mantis had been captured, they could deduce that there were very few of the Guardians left.
There were no detailed requirements for this bounty mission, and it was tacitly agreed that the reward would be distributed evenly according to the number of targets.
The majority went to round up Quill and Gamora, or simply went to fight over Drax and Mantis.
The minority who came to the landing zone to arrest the rest of the team were afraid that bringing too many people with them would alert Rocket and Luke, and prompt them to run.
So, they simply sent more people to guard the access points and a small number to enter the landing zone and quietly search the place.