Dax looked directly at Greef Karga and asked the question everyone was thinking. "Why give this base to us?"
"Yeah, I want to know too," Rocket said suspiciously. "This seemingly run-down place has a lot of untapped potential."
"This could still serve as a Guild outpost," Boba pointed out. "You don't need everything fully operational, you know."
Karga silently acknowledged their points, his expression more serious than usual. He hesitated, then slowly stepped away from the group, lost in thought.
Greef Karga sighed heavily. "You might not realize this, but the galaxy's in chaos right now. Systems collapsing, societies in turmoil. Bounty hunters and mercenaries are having a harder time than ever. The war's invaded neutral systems. The situation's worse than anything before. We thought the fight between the Republic and Separatists was bad enough, but then Ultron showed up."
The usually composed Vision reacted with visible shock. He walked directly toward Karga, his intensity causing the man to retreat from the pressure radiating from him.
Paz Vizsla quickly positioned himself between the two, attempting to ease the tension. What happened next left him and everyone else stunned as Vision phased directly through him.
The Mandalorian took a sharp breath, trying to calm himself. He looked back at Vision, who now stood beside Karga with his hands on the man's shoulders. Though Karga appeared somewhat panicked, Vision's eyes remained focused and determined.
"You're talking about Ultron, correct?" Vision asked quietly. "Blue eyes or red eyes. Always accompanied by multiple drones with antenna-like protrusions on both sides of his head."
Karga stammered his confirmation. "Yes, he's attacked across the galaxy. Waging war on everything."
Vision released his grip and stepped back, revealing his deep concern to everyone assembled.
"You didn't know about this?" Rocket's tone carried disbelief. "What happened to you? How long were you hiding in some corner?"
"I spent several months on a planet isolated from the rest of the galaxy," Vision said slowly.
"What has he done?" Vision asked, his intensity shocking everyone present.
Seeing someone usually so composed now on the verge of an outburst was deeply unsettling.
Tobbi scratched the back of his head, hesitating.
Vision interrupted. "I need to know every detail."
"That's a long story," Boba responded carefully.
"Would you prefer a brief summary or detailed account, Vision?" Fenn asked.
"What did he do?" Vision demanded. "Who did he attack, where, when, and how?"
"It's not a question of who he attacked, but who he hasn't attacked," Baze Malbus said grimly.
"The galaxy was invaded by Ultron," Fenn continued. "He created chaos everywhere. Every living being felt fear." Rocket gestured emphatically as he spoke.
"Ultron struck numerous critical locations," Fenn explained. "Including the Republic and Separatist capitals, Nal Hutta, Nar Shaddaa, the Mandalore system, and countless other bases. Military, mercenary, anywhere you can imagine, he attacked systematically."
"He seized Jabiim, exterminated every living thing there, and claimed the planet as his own," Dax added. "While there are rumors he's left, for now it's just an abandoned, dead system. No one dares venture there anymore."
"Since then, the galaxy's been trapped in an endless nightmare. Security measures and protocols have become extraordinarily strict, making many jobs far more difficult than before," Greef Karga finally spoke, facing Vision again after their tense confrontation.
"Recently, things have deteriorated further. Reports say he contacted both major galactic governments and announced he's officially entering the war with the goal of completely destroying everyone."
"Extinction." Vision's voice came out calm and cold, sending a chill through everyone present. "He's attempting to achieve his goal again."
Gamora studied the Avenger with a scrutinizing gaze, searching for something. "You know him, don't you?" she asked softly, complex emotion threading through her words.
After a moment's hesitation, Vision nodded. "We share a common origin."
Confusion rippled through the assembled group.
"Wait, what? What does that mean?" Star-Lord and Drax asked simultaneously, voices full of bewilderment.
"Have you seen him do something like this before?" someone questioned.
"He once attacked a planet and attempted to transform it into an extinction-level weapon to destroy all life. He ultimately failed."
"What?!" The group exclaimed in unison, completely shocked and struggling to process Vision's words. Vision looked between them, attempting to address their questions.
At that moment, Chirrut Îmwe stepped forward and struck the ground with his staff. The blind man faced Vision and said firmly, "Let him speak." As a follower of the Force, his tone carried both calmness and authority.
"Vision, do you know something about Ultron that we don't? What is your relationship with him?"
Vision contemplated for a moment before responding. "How can I explain our relationship? You could say he's my brother and partial creator."
Shock rippled through everyone assembled. "Brother? Partial creator?" someone repeated in confusion. Several began reaching for weapons, regarding Vision with sudden suspicion.
Fenn, however, raised his arms, stopping the escalation.
"Hey, hey, hey, let's not rush to conclusions." His words acted like fresh air, calming the tension.
"He is not our enemy," Chirrut stated firmly. "If he were, we would all be dead already."
Rocket made a questioning sound. "How can we trust him?"
"Do you trust me?" Gamora asked pointedly.
Rocket glanced at the Mad Titan's daughter from the corner of his eye. After a moment's hesitation, noting the confusion in her expression and the guilty sighs from Star-Lord and their teammates, his resolve softened. He muttered something under his breath, then lowered his weapon that had shrunk to portable size and slung it across his back.
Gamora observed his actions, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly before turning back to Vision. "So you know him?" she asked directly.
"I am a defender of life," Vision replied calmly. "As you've learned, he is not. Quite the opposite."
"So he's the enemy," Baze clarified.
"What's the history between you two?" Boba asked cautiously.
Vision fell silent for a moment in thought. "Ultron's creator and I were teammates, part of the same organization. Unfortunately, when Ultron attempted to execute his extinction plan on my home world, my companions prevented it. I ended up inheriting aspects of what he'd tried to become."
"What?" Everyone exclaimed again.
"Ultron is not a typical robot," Vision explained. "He's an artificial intelligence based on human neural architecture. He possesses advanced intelligence and evolutionary capabilities. His initial goal was achieving peace on my home world. But during his creation, unknown factors caused his objectives to corrupt, forming what you see today."
"Peace turned to extinction," Rocket quipped darkly.
Gamora adjusted her stance, folding her arms across her chest and gripping her jacket sleeves tightly. Peli muttered, "So you're a robot?"
Vision stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'm a synthetic being. In a manner of speaking, I'm different from any robot, even other iterations of Ultron."
"Of course," Dax commented. "A robot that can eat. That's definitely unprecedented."
Most of the group didn't notice that Chirrut Îmwe took a deep breath, though Baze beside him and Peli occasionally glancing back caught it.
Peli Motto saw Chirrut gripping his staff tightly and asked with concern, "You alright, Chirrut?"
Chirrut frowned, sensing intently for several seconds. "I feel an unusual disturbance. There's someone on Gravus." He elaborated further. "They have a connection to the Force. Not as refined as a Jedi, but the connection is genuine."
Fenn's brow furrowed at the term. "You mean like a Jedi?"
Chirrut shook his head. "No. What I'm sensing is different from what I feel from him." He gestured toward Vision. "In fact, I'm sensing a familiar presence. Like the four of you."
Tobbi pointed at himself and his companions curiously. "You mean the four of us?"
Chirrut nodded confirmation. "Yes. I believe we need to investigate this."
"Excellent!" Tobbi said excitedly. "We love a challenge, whatever it might be. When do we start?"