Kor-El, Detention Cell – Olympus Station

Days, weeks…perhaps months. Kor-El had simply lost track of how long she had been imprisoned in this place. The last thing they had witnessed was, surprisingly, Ronan's execution, carried out as a public spectacle before the entire planet.

The human soldiers, stern and disciplined, maintained their posts admirably. They did not speak to Kor-El or her men, nor did they mock or abuse them.

It was…almost pleasant, to be honest. And judging by Ronan's fate, it wasn't as though the humans of this planet were particularly…merciful. So, rather than feeling relaxed like her men, the captain remained constantly on edge.

Waiting to be the next one murdered in some bloody spectacle.

However, it was evident that things within this newly born interplanetary Empire made very little sense.

On one hand, their soldiers were ruthless, skilled, and terrifying. Behemoths standing more than two meters tall, moving with speeds they had no right to possess. Kor-El still shuddered whenever she remembered the footage of the failed invasion, from the way those…Spartans dominated the battlefield with alarming ease to the point that they accomplished something not even the Skrulls at the height of their power had managed.

Forcing a Kree surrender.

The sight of her soldiers, loyal sons and daughters of Hala, kneeling and submitting before what many, including herself, had considered an inferior species had been…a devastating dose of reality.

Their ships were an entirely different matter.

The Kree fleet was considered one of the most powerful in the galaxy, designed by the finest engineers, manufacturers, and using the finest materials the Kree could produce, with the sole purpose of projecting the Empire's superiority, pacifying dissidents, and striking fear into the hearts of their enemies.

Or at least, that was what Kor-El had been taught since childhood.

The Kree captain knew her place. She was a half-breed, not the lowest rank within Kree society, but Kor-El understood perfectly well that she would never occupy a position of honor as a Fleet Commander or anything of the sort.

Kor-El's fate had been sealed from birth. She would remain an officer throughout her life, and perhaps…with tremendous effort, and by becoming the mistress or bedwarmer of some sufficiently important pure-blooded Kree, she might eventually command a small vessel under a pure-blooded Kree Admiral.

However, Kor-El's thoughts vanished completely when the doors opened once again.

And instead of the human or mechanical guards to whom she had grown accustomed, the Kree officer saw a pair of Spartans.

Judging by their physiques, they were female humans, although in terms of size they were…giants, like every Spartan Kor-El had encountered. Their armor was white, while their helmets and visors were completely different from those the Kree officer remembered.

Both wore elegant ceremonial cloaks over their shoulders as they escorted someone who was evidently a woman of considerable importance.

She was a Terran, belonging to the same subspecies as the Spartans, considering that she stood more than two meters tall.

Her body was elegant, feminine, and curvaceous, revealing a considerable amount of skin beneath a scandalous yet elegant and luxurious white gown adorned with diamonds. Her skin was as pale as snow, while her face spoke of aristocracy and high nobility, with prominent cheekbones and refined features.

Her long, silky blonde hair was utterly unlike anything Kor-El had seen among the Kree, but…extremely pleasing to behold.

For a moment, Kor-El wondered what it would feel like to touch that silky substance.

However, before she could pursue that thought, the newcomer stepped forward and spoke.

Her voice was arrogant, feminine, and seductive, perfectly suited to the physique of such a magnificent specimen.

"Prisoners," she declared, her voice elegant, powerful, and cold, carrying a tone of authority that immediately commanded the attention of every Kree prisoner.

Instantly, Kor-El and the other Kree soldiers straightened their backs for no apparent reason.

The woman's mere voice was…intense and powerful, thought the former captain of the Dark Aster.

"Kree prisoners, my name is Emma Frost, Primaris Consort to Emperor Harrison, permanent member of the High Council of the Empire of Midgard, and future wife of our glorious Leader," the beautiful and dangerous human declared.

Her voice remained calm, completely controlled, as though somehow, despite being escorted by two of the deadliest soldiers Kor-El had ever encountered…

She herself was the most dangerous person in the room.

The detention block was…gigantic.

It had to be, considering that somehow, at least two thousand prisoners of war were being held there.

They occupied a massive vertical chamber of hexagonal design, divided into block-like cells that shifted positions daily.

It was frustrating, because they were not actually being mistreated. It was almost as though the Terrans had known the Kree would become troublesome and had neutralized every possible problem before even taking them prisoner.

Most of those occupying the cells were…half-breeds or members of the lower castes, like herself.

There was not a single pure-blooded Kree prisoner.

However, Kor-El returned her attention to the woman's words.

"It is my pleasure to inform you that, a couple of days ago, we detected an incursion by a second Kree fleet into our territory," the woman announced, immediately attracting the attention of every prisoner, Kor-El included.

Although undoubtedly for very different reasons.

The captain saw hope and longing appear on the faces of several of her comrades, but she was not so gullible.

If someone as important as the Emperor's own Consort had come here personally, the news could hardly be good for the Kree.

And a few moments later, the human proved her right.

"It is my pleasure to inform you that the Second Imperial Fleet, under Admiral Almond Hacket, intercepted a Kree suppression fleet commanded by Captain Minn-Erva, resulting in the complete annihilation of the enemy fleet and the capture of more than five thousand Kree soldiers and officers. The captain surrendered her vessel under the relentless Imperial assault, and as we speak, the prisoners are being transported to this station," the woman announced.

At the same moment, every screen throughout the prison changed.

"The Tau Ceti System, 11.9 light-years from the Imperial capital. The second encounter between the Kree Empire and the Empire of Midgard. This should be good. An exclusive premiere," the woman remarked with evident amusement.

The prisoners watched the screens with growing terror.

The image of a human woman appeared, standing within what seemed to be a skyscraper overlooking an Imperial city.

The architecture was…interesting.

The technological advancement Kor-El observed was very different from what she had expected of this world.

Kree records had classified this planet as practically a garbage dump, not the military and technological titan capable of subjugating not one, but two Kree fleets.

"Highly advanced antigravity technology, sophisticated mechanized systems, directed hypercharged particle weaponry…" murmured Kor-El's protégé, Soh-Lar, a half-breed like herself with whom Kor-El shared a cell.

"These aren't the primitives we expected. This planet is at least a Class Two civilization, Captain," the young Kree declared.

Kor-El nodded beside her as they listened to the human news broadcast.

"THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: SECOND IMPERIAL FLEET ANNIHILATES KREE INVASION FORCE"

"Good evening, citizens of the Empire. I'm Christine Everhart, and tonight we bring you extraordinary news. Just a few hours ago, an invasion fleet belonging to the Kree Empire entered our sovereign territory with clearly hostile intentions. The location was Tau Ceti, a system recently claimed by the Empire."

"According to the official statement released by Imperial High Command, the enemy force consisted of one hundred warships, including heavy cruisers, destroyers, and troop transports. Military authorities believe it was an expeditionary force intended to establish a beachhead for a full-scale invasion."

The image changed again, revealing a formation of majestic human battleships, accompanied by cruisers and frigates with elegant yet menacing silhouettes.

They were considerably more…elegant, heavily armored, and terrifying than the already powerful vessels the humans had used to destroy Ronan's fleet.

And one thing had become abundantly clear.

They had been designed specifically to counter Kree battle doctrines.

Whoever served as the humans' Supreme Admiral knew exactly what they were doing.

"They adapted their ships. Those dense hulls appear designed to mitigate plasma damage from our cannons. Those elongated shapes, with their weapons concentrated toward the bow, suggest fast and aggressive vessels, like a pack of predators," Soh-Lar whispered, her eyes fixed on the limited footage of the new fleet.

"How the fuck did they build an entire fleet in just a few months?" another soldier asked.

Kor-El answered immediately.

"They possess highly effective mechanized troops. Adapting that technology for mass ship production wouldn't be particularly complicated. This is getting worse and worse," the captain whispered resignedly, continuing to listen to the broadcast.

"Unfortunately for our visitors, their incursion was intercepted by the Second Imperial Fleet, commanded by Admiral Almond Hacket, who recently assumed command of the formation. And what happened next can hardly be described as a conventional battle."

The journalist smiled slightly, the superiority and satisfaction in her expression more than evident.

"They never stood a chance."

The footage showed the instant the two fleets made contact.

The Kree opened fire first, unleashing an impressive barrage of energy projectiles against the human formations.

However, the shields and armor of the human vessels mitigated much of the damage, and only when four or five Kree ships concentrated their fire upon a single human vessel did its armor begin to buckle.

It was…revealing and terrifying.

To watch ship after ship of the Kree fleet fall mercilessly before the humans' horrifying weapons.

Missiles traveling at utterly absurd velocities, seemingly collapsing entire sections of Kree warships.

Emerald lances of energy that melted through shields with ease…

It was a slaughter.

There was no other word to describe it.

In the footage, three Kree cruisers vanished almost simultaneously, pierced from bow to stern by the relentless human weapons, throwing the Kree formation into chaos.

Kor-El could only watch helplessly and with resignation as a Kree capital ship, not an Accuser-class vessel like the Dark Aster, but no less imposing, came under siege from the human fleet.

Meanwhile, its escorts were being massacred by those strange human vessels.

They weren't fighters, like the ones those damned Xandarians were so fond of using. They were far too large for that.

But neither were they frigates, at least not by Kree design standards.

They seemed to occupy…an intermediate tonnage between the two classes.

And a remarkably effective one, Kor-El thought as she watched four of those vessels completely disable a Kree frigate.

"The way they wage war is…terrifying. They're hunters. They've adapted their techniques to exploit the weaknesses of our ships. It's…masterful," her apprentice remarked.

Several of their fellow prisoners frowned at her.

"You sound as though you admire them," one reproached.

Soh-Lar merely shrugged without answering.

Kor-El sighed.

The Kree fleet had evidently managed to disable or destroy enemy vessels, but the final tally was…utterly absurd.

Ten human warships had been lost.

Ten.

Against an invading force of one hundred Kree warships, the overwhelming majority of which had already been destroyed, crippled, or forced to surrender.

"The superiority of our detection systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and fire-control networks allowed the Second Fleet to neutralize the enemy's primary command nodes within the opening minutes of the engagement. Kree communications were disrupted, their formations fell into disarray, and their commanders lost the ability to coordinate an effective response."

The reporter allowed the images to speak for themselves.

And in the process, the Kree prisoners were left utterly shaken, forced to confront confirmation that the defeat of their first fleet had not been luck or some cruel twist of fate.

It had been human superiority in all its glory.

And that was a difficult pill to swallow for everyone present.

Kor-El included.

"The Ministry of Defense has also confirmed that enemy vessels which ceased hostilities were boarded and their crews taken as prisoners of war. The survivors will be treated in accordance with Imperial military protocols."

The screen displayed one final image.

The Second Fleet advancing majestically through the wreckage of the Kree warships.

Its battleships remained practically intact, while numerous auxiliary vessels began rescue and recovery operations.

There were damaged Terran ships, and the loss of ten Imperial vessels was undeniable.

The human fleet had not emerged unscathed.

But…it was abundantly clear which side was superior.

The broadcast ended, but Kor-El continued staring at the screen.

Every Kree prisoner in the detention block was devastated, utterly lost, and without any clear direction.

Precisely as the human, this Lady Emma, had intended, Kor-El thought astutely.

She watched those cold blue eyes survey the room in complete silence, allowing the weight of the images they had just witnessed to settle upon every prisoner.

Kor-El…was simply tired.

More tired than she could remember feeling throughout her entire military career.

She had spent a considerable portion of her life serving the Kree Empire. She had fought pirates, suppressed rebellions, and witnessed the destruction of entire planets that had made the mistake of challenging Hala's supremacy.

She knew the power of their fleets.

She knew their weapons.

She knew the terrible reputation of their battleships.

And she had just witnessed one hundred warships being massacred or boarded by a civilization that, until relatively recently, nobody had regarded as anything more than animals.

The truly unbearable part had not been the defeat.

The Kree lived for war, after all.

It had been the ease.

The humans had not needed desperate tactics.

They had not sacrificed their vessels to break through Kree lines.

They had not resorted to forbidden weapons or deployed some miraculous technology at the last possible moment.

They had simply opened fire.

And the finest warships of her Empire had begun to die.

And then, after allowing that realization to settle firmly among the prisoners…the human spoke.

"The Emperor has determined your punishment. Every one of you will be processed, and depending on what our specialists discover during your individual evaluations, you will be presented with one of two possibilities," the woman declared.

Her hands were clasped behind her back, emphasizing her generous chest and commanding presence.

"During this time, we have studied you thoroughly. Your virtues, your records, and your actions. To be perfectly honest, we know you better than you know yourselves," the human remarked with a smug chuckle.

Some of the Kree regarded her with thinly concealed contempt.

Others, however, looked interested.

Soh-Lar among them.

"The most unstable among you will be processed and sent to Xandar, where you will be handed over to the planetary government as a gesture of goodwill. Those of you who are more…reasonable will have a considerably broader range of opportunities available," the woman declared.

And to Kor-El's surprise, one of the prisoners spoke.

A young female officer who had endured a difficult life, considering she had been forced to warm the bed of one of Ronan's lieutenants.

"What kind of opportunities?" she asked softly, ignoring the hostile looks and frowns of several Kree who remained loyal to Hala.

The blonde woman smiled.

But it was not a pleasant or warm gesture.

It was a smile of triumph and satisfaction.

"Simple. Hala and the Supreme Intelligence are the Emperor's enemies, not the Kree people. In his benevolence, His Imperial Majesty has approved the Open Arms Program, designed to integrate and preserve the Kree genome within the Empire. Those deemed suitable will have the opportunity to serve in the Imperial Navy in exchange for their freedom and citizenship," the woman announced.

Every prisoner froze.

Kor-El included.

Those words…were the complete opposite of everything she was accustomed to.

There was no racial superiority or anything of the sort.

Instead, it appeared the Emperor was extending his hand to certain individuals among the prisoners.

And the reactions of her fellow Kree were the most unsettling part.

Because the overwhelming majority of those present were seriously considering the woman's words and her offer, contemplating what it might mean for their futures.

Kor-El couldn't blame them, of course.

With very few exceptions, most of those imprisoned here were half-breeds, and they understood perfectly well that their prospects on Hala were…difficult, to put it mildly.

Without another word, the Primaris Consort turned and began walking away, although not before delivering one final warning.

"The offer will expire soon, and it will only be extended once. So when your processing begins, don't waste the opportunity."

And with those words, the Primaris Consort departed the detention block, leaving more than a few Kree struggling with serious existential doubts.

Kor-El included.

Tony Stark, Stark Tower – York Prime

"So…a gigantic alien space station," Tony remarked with some disbelief as he spoke with Harry through the communications system installed in his tower.

The Emperor merely laughed and shook his head.

"Of course. I'd prefer Midgard to remain somewhat isolated. I'm even considering moving it toward Arcturus, creating a buffer zone, you know?" Harry explained, causing Tony to nod before asking another question.

"Not that I'm unhappy you called, Harry, but what do you need? The presentation of Stark Aerodynamics and our first prototype is about to begin," the billionaire said with a smug smile.

At least until Harry, rather than appearing surprised by the news, smiled with amusement and replied.

"Aye, I see you've deciphered the Mass Effect equations. Have you managed to eliminate the Cherenkov radiation saturation in your engines that's limiting your jump range and duration?" Harry asked innocently, wearing an expression that told Tony he already knew the answer.

Tony could only frown and pout, causing Harry to burst into hearty laughter at what was undoubtedly a comical sight.

"You know perfectly well I haven't. But don't worry, I'll figure it out," Tony declared with determination.

Harry nodded.

"I don't doubt it. But to answer your question, it's about your request. The Stark Shipyard you wanted for constructing spacecraft," the Emperor explained, his tone becoming more serious.

Tony straightened, looking toward the screen with anticipation, momentarily fearing that Harry might reject the proposal or that some bureaucratic complication had arisen.

However, apparently, he had nothing to worry about.

"I've approved it. It'll be good for the entire Empire to have more competition. There's Deimos, owned by my father and brother. Then there's you with Stark Aerodynamics, and Wenwu with Taiyo Astroengineering. Everyone is looking toward the stars, Tony," the Emperor replied.

Tony nodded with relief before looking at Harry curiously.

"And Evans Technologies?"

Harry chuckled softly.

"My shipyards are entirely dedicated to military production. A self-imposed monopoly, naturally, but a necessary one considering the enormous strides we need to make if we intend to maintain our position against the rest of the galaxy. Emma is handling the civilian market. Apparently, Frost Interplanetary is going to have plenty of work, and she wants to expand into luxury deep-space cruise liners," Harry explained.

Tony nodded.

"However, that's not why I called. Last time, you told me to contact you if I ever decided to build another space station. Remember?" Harry asked.

Tony nodded and remained silent.

"Well, take a look at this."

Harry shared a collection of blueprints.

Elegant.

Ambitious.

Entirely consistent with Tony's image of his good friend.

"Othys Station," Tony whispered to himself, reading the annotations accompanying the titanic installation.

"It will be the Empire's military bastion. Victor, Reed, and I are working on a way to block the jump points of the Universal Relay Network within the Sol System, but that's proving to be considerably more time-consuming than we'd hoped, much to absolutely nobody's surprise."

Harry continued speaking.

"Othys Station will be our military stronghold, the steel heart of the Empire, the spearhead of human exploration and expansion."

The Emperor said it so casually that he might as well have been discussing the fucking weather instead of a twenty-kilometer space station located thirty light-years from the capital.

"So…you want my help?" Tony asked with interest.

Harrison nodded.

"Exactly. I want to see what ideas that crazy mind of yours can come up with to turn her into the toughest bitch in the Imperial systems. Are you free? I can send a ship to pick you up, and we can watch Pepper's presentation from Olympus," Harrison suggested.

An absolutely insane idea suddenly occurred to the billionaire.

"Sounds great. But on second thought, I'll get there myself. In style. Clear your private docking bay up there. I'll be there in a moment," Tony declared excitedly.

Harrison raised an eyebrow before nodding and ending the call.

The moment the transmission ended, Tony began chuckling to himself as he prepared everything.

"Jarvis, be a good fellow and bring out our baby. It's time for her first flight test," he said with barely concealed excitement, walking across the top floor of his tower with the magnificent view of York Prime surrounding him.

Gone were the ruins left by the Kree.

The old city had disappeared.

And now…the future had arrived.

Hundreds of skycars moved between the towering buildings of the immense metropolis. Spacecraft landed and departed from the city's spaceports, and even the Orbital Elevator that Evans Technologies was constructing could be seen on the horizon.

Never in his life had Tony imagined he would witness this level of progress.

It was…simply incredible.

"Understood, Mr. Stark. Unveiling Prototype Mark I – AEGIS Armor," his AI announced.

The floor of his workshop opened, raising a platform that supported his greatest creation to date.

An Iron Man suit incorporating Mass Effect technology.

His baby.

The greatest achievement of Tony's life so far.

And the very thing he intended to use to fly to Olympus and surprise Harry.

"Check the parameters one last time, Jarvis. We don't want any surprises," Tony instructed as he prepared to don the armor.

At his command, holographic displays appeared around his creation, showing that every reading remained within acceptable parameters.

And finally, it was time to test his new toy.

The armor was radically different from his traditional suits, and it was all thanks to Harrium, or Element Zero, the great wonder Harry had discovered and created.

That element possessed almost limitless possibilities.

Tony had used it to develop his own alloy, creating a type of titanium four times lighter and three times stronger than its conventional counterpart.

He had also used it to optimize and improve his Arc Reactor to an absurd degree, tripling its energy generation capacity while mitigating the heat produced by the suit.

And, of course, he had used it to enhance the armor's flight capabilities, both within an atmosphere and in space.

This marvel, in theory…could carry Tony at speeds far beyond that of light, allowing him to travel approximately five light-years per day.

The possibilities were endless.

And it was time to put them to the test.

Tony stepped onto the assembly platform as the armor components began generating Mass Effect fields, assembling themselves around his body.

"I feel like an action figure," he muttered, laughing as the helmet sealed around his head and the suit's interface appeared before his eyes.

"Welcome aboard, Jarvis!" Tony declared with a smile.

The digital avatar of his old friend appeared in the lower corner of his display, represented by a cartoonish English butler straight out of the 1980s.

"Everything is ready, Mr. Stark. Shall we perform an initial flight around York Prime before returning safely?" the butler asked.

Tony laughed.

"Jarvis, set a course off-planet. Olympus Station," he ordered, chuckling when the avatar's eyes widened dramatically.

God, he really needed to get Peter a good present for suggesting they give old Jarvis a face.

"Mr. Stark, these parameters have not been tested. We don't know how your body will react to the Mass Effect fields," Jarvis warned.

Tony merely shrugged.

"Only one way to find out, right?"

With that, Tony activated the suit, beginning to levitate as though he were in zero gravity.

"Mass Effect fields active and stable. Energy levels are considerably above the required threshold," the butler reported.

Tony nodded.

"Then maximum power. Time to test those inertial dampeners. Take us to Olympus, Jarvis," the billionaire ordered.

The AI complied.

The suit's engines roared as Tony shot into the busy skies of York Prime like a purple missile, leaving a violet trail behind him.

The armor moved at utterly absurd speeds, with a smoothness he had believed impossible for a machine.

"Jarvis…Mass Jump toward the Moon. I want to take a lap around it and then return to Olympus," the billionaire instructed.

The butler nodded and began preparing the jump.

However, before they could execute it, something happened…

WHOOOOSH!

"AAAHHH!" Tony shouted as two Imperial fighters suddenly appeared, flying alongside his armor, one on either side.

Both generated Mass Effect fields that, for some reason, expanded and neutralized Tony's own.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed.

The patrol fighters' speakers came alive through his communications system.

"Tony!" Harrison's voice exclaimed with surprise and amusement.

The billionaire grimaced.

"Busted," he whispered to himself.

"Hey, Harry! Like my new toy?" Tony asked, sighing with relief when he heard Harrison laughing on the other end.

"It's incredible, Tony. But you were about to initiate an unauthorized Mass Effect Jump toward the Moon using incorrect calculations," Harrison replied.

Tony bristled indignantly.

"Oh, come on, Harry! Jarvis and I checked everything three times!" he protested petulantly, feeling like a child beneath Harrison's criticism.

Harry merely responded.

"Including the astrophysical adjustments for the interaction between magnetic fields?"

He used that tone Tony hated.

The very same tone Tony himself used when speaking to people less intelligent than him.

And Jarvis was the one who answered.

"No, Mr. Evans. Mr. Stark failed to account for the interaction between the differing densities of Earth's magnetosphere and the Moon's magnetic environment. Without your adjustments, our jump would have reduced us to paste on the lunar surface in less than the blink of an eye," Jarvis reported.

Tony sighed in frustration.

"Fine, smartass. You're the Lord of Space and faster-than-light travel. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Tony snapped.

Harrison laughed heartily.

"Come on, Tony. Hermione will escort you to Olympus," Harrison declared before ending the transmission.

A mechanical yet distinctly feminine voice replaced his.

"HELLO, MR. STARK!"

Tony smiled despite himself.

"Hey, Hermione! Everything all right up there?"

"Absolutely!"

The artificial intelligence sounded positively delighted.

"However, Father has instructed me to teach you a lesson for being such an irresponsible idiot!"

Tony's smile vanished.

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes!"

"Hermione…"

"Therefore, for the next ten minutes of sublight travel toward Olympus Station, you will be required to listen to Justin Hammer's latest corporate presentation!"

Tony froze.

"What?"

"On repeat!"

"No."

"At maximum authorized internal audio volume!"

"Hermione, don't you dare—"

"Enjoy your flight, Mr. Stark! See you up here!"

And then…

A familiar, obnoxiously enthusiastic voice exploded through Tony's helmet speakers.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE FUTURE OF HAMMER INDUSTRIES!"

Tony stared into the void.

Horrified.

He immediately attempted to mute the transmission.

Nothing.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

"JARVIS!"

"I apologize, sir. Our audio controls appear to have been remotely overridden."

Tony's jaw dropped.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH HACKED MY SUIT!"

"WHEN YOU THINK INNOVATION, YOU THINK HAMMER!"

"JARVIS, SHUT IT OFF!"

"I am attempting to do so, sir."

"BECAUSE AT HAMMER INDUSTRIES, WE DON'T JUST BUILD TECHNOLOGY…"

Tony groaned.

"WE BUILD TOMORROW!"

"Oh, I'm going to kill him."

"Mr. Evans, sir?"

"YES!"

"An understandable sentiment, sir."

Tony continued drifting through space, escorted by two magnificent Imperial starfighters, while the most irritating voice in the history of corporate presentations echoed endlessly inside his helmet.

The journey to Olympus Station was going to be…

Very.

Very.

Long.