As they entered, their view expanded dramatically into a grand, spacious area complete with docking ports, rooms, storage facilities, and other amenities that exceeded expectations.
"Holy crap!" Rocket exclaimed excitedly, jumping onto a railing to survey the space that appeared to be a combined warehouse and docking bay. Fenn whistled his appreciation.
"Where did you find this place?" Gamora asked, genuine admiration in her tone.
"The space is quite substantial," Baze replied, his voice carrying approval.
"This is undoubtedly a significant discovery," Chirrut declared solemnly.
"How'd you manage to secure something this nice?" they asked curiously.
Baze answered easily, "Gravus has numerous ports to choose from, but as time passes, some locations are forgotten. This was once a Bounty Hunters' Guild outpost, but they abandoned it when the Guild established a new base on Nevarro."
"Nevarro?" Mandalorian Protector Tobbi repeated. "You familiar with Greef Karga?"
"Oh, you know him?" Chirrut asked as he walked forward, the others following closely behind as they overlooked the entire facility.
"My father communicated with him regularly. Our clan has several ongoing agreements with him," Boba Fett said quietly. "He's one of the Guild's senior agents and has been providing us with contract opportunities these past months."
Suddenly, everyone's attention focused on a figure approaching them. Beside him stood someone in blue Mandalorian armor, a familiar presence that made the Protectors feel immediately at ease.
"Good to see you all doing well," Greef Karga said with a warm smile, greeting everyone but particularly acknowledging the Mandalorians. "Paz has been looking forward to seeing you again."
Fenn, Boba, Dax, and Tobbi studied the Mandalorian from Clan Vizsla. Despite their scrutiny, he appeared completely unbothered.
"He doing alright?" Fenn asked quietly, concern evident in his tone.
Greef nodded slightly.
"What brings you here, Karga?" Dax inquired.
Greef Karga's mouth curved into a broad smile. "What else? To see you. I knew I needed to offer this place to all of you. I'm confident this will benefit both you and my associates considerably."
"He's the one who reached out and offered us this location," Baze revealed. Several people regarded Karga with surprise mixed with suspicion.
Karga remained calm, smile never wavering. "What do you think of the arrangement? Consider it a gift from me to all of you."
"In our line of work..." Quill didn't finish the sentence. The implications were self-evident.
"Statement: Our occupation, which some call Guardians of the Galaxy, involves terminating meatbags. This naturally attracts hostility, as eventually they attempt to make us their prey," HK said in his characteristic morbid tone.
Gamora listened to all this with her usual blank expression.
Greef Karga laughed. "I'm not hiding anything."
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed from somewhere within the base. "Ugh, I'll tell you about what I dealt with later. This is the fourth job this week already."
The sound came from deeper in the facility, accompanied by mechanical chatter and additional complaints.
The Guardians, Mandalorians, and their allies all looked at Greef in confusion.
Drax raised his head, eyes narrowing as he listened intently. "That voice sounds familiar," he murmured.
Greef gestured for them to follow. "Let's see if she recognizes who she's working for now."
They followed Greef's lead deeper into the base's heart, arriving at a well-designed docking bay. Nearly thirty ports of varying sizes were available, enough to accommodate vessels ranging from fighters to massive ships like the Guardian Quadrant.
Surrounded by equipment and components, a woman in her forties stood out immediately. She had curly brown hair and matching eyes, wearing a brown jumpsuit with black boots and gloves that gave her a professional, capable appearance. Busy around her were tools, equipment, ship parts, and a team of droids assisting with her work.
"No, no, you've got it wrong again, Treadwell," the woman scolded a droid that handed her a device. "I said the flat circular one, not this." Her voice revealed her precision and focus.
Suddenly, the voices of several Guardians caught her attention.
"Peli?" they called out in surprise.
Peli looked up, a warm smile spreading across her face as she stepped away from her workstation toward them. "Well, I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for my favorite clients," she announced happily, noting their arrival. "And you brought guests this time."
"What are you doing here, Peli?" someone asked curiously, though clearly pleased to see the engineer.
"Hey, troublemakers," Peli greeted with a wink. "Karga recruited me here to help his Mandalorian friend Paz with repairs."
"These docking ports needed serious work," Peli explained. "It's a challenge, but I'll maintain order in the Outer Rim, whether for the Guardians of the Galaxy or the Ravagers."
"It hasn't blown up yet?" Rocket asked dryly.
"Oh, don't rush me, Rocket," Peli said, rolling her eyes. "You and I both know that modulator was only half-finished when you brought it."
"That doesn't mean we can't make it functional," Rocket countered.
"I'm not the one who wants to unnecessarily push an engine past its limits," Peli responded calmly.
Thanks to her efforts, the docking bay was gradually regaining its vitality and efficiency.
"Good to see you again, Peli," Gamora said warmly.
"Likewise, Gamora. Always good to see you," Peli responded in kind.
"So who are your Mandalorian friends?" Peli asked.
Star-Lord patted Fenn on the shoulder. "We've got a working relationship with these guys."
Fenn chuckled. "I'm Fenn Rau, and we're Mandalorian Protectors."
"Tobbi Dala, Dax Odo, and Boba Fett," everyone introduced themselves.
When Peli heard the name Fett, her eyes showed a hint of recognition. "Related to Jango Fett?" she asked Boba curiously.
Boba's eyes widened slightly. "You knew my father?"
Peli laughed and clapped her hands. "So you're his kid. I helped your father repair his ship back when he was bounty hunting."
Then Peli's expression became hesitant. "I heard he died recently. Is that true?" she asked, regret coloring her tone.
Boba bowed his head and clenched his fists at the question. Fenn gently placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.
Peli sighed, regret clear on her face. "I'm sorry, kid. Didn't mean to bring up something painful."
Boba whispered that it was okay, though he kept his head down.
Mentally berating herself for touching on a sensitive subject, Peli turned to the rest of the group, seeking a way to lighten the mood.
She looked around and noticed someone particularly striking standing among them, distinctive in both temperament and appearance. "Well, looks like today's a fashion collision," Peli said loudly, her eyes falling on the synthetic Avenger wearing a golden cape.
"I haven't seen you or your kind before. You new? Mandalorian? Guardian? Hard to tell..."
"Ah, no," Vision responded politely. "My name is Vision. I'm friends with the Mandalorians. They've provided me transport across the galaxy while I search for companions."
Peli had a playful smile on her face. "You guys really do collect strays. Though at least you're polite about it. That's rare. Usually only Drax and Gamora talk like that."
The Mandalorians and Guardians groaned collectively, while Chirrut and Baze laughed.
"We are polite and diplomatic," Drax said defensively. "Right, Gamora?"
Gamora simply blew hair away from her face.
Peli Motto grinned and turned her attention back to Vision. "So you're stuck with these guys, huh? Honestly, I don't envy you."
The Avenger shrugged slightly. "Their reputation may precede them, but the Guardians have made a favorable first impression."
"Favorable good or favorable bad?" Rocket asked impatiently.
"Affirmation: I believe it is favorable," HK stated.
As the Guardians and Mandalorians fell into easy conversation and banter, Vision quietly observed them, filled with curiosity. This eclectic, unconventional group functioned as a genuine team with deep camaraderie binding them together.
That sense of fellowship brought a wave of melancholy to Vision's synthetic heart. He longed to reunite with his own team as soon as possible, to share this depth of connection with them once more.
Vision's thoughts were quickly interrupted by Mandalorian Protector Dax, who asked a question that gave everyone pause.
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