The Kree possessed formidable scientific research and practical skills. Their homeworld was Planet Hala, extremely far from the Centaurus Galaxy.
Their traceable history stretched back a long way. The Kree had already existed when Titan was still prosperous. It was just that the Kree of that era had been weak. In the vast universe, they had not even been qualified to serve as cannon fodder.
The Kree's transformation began with a colonial invasion.
At the time, the Skrulls, who had already established the Skrull Empire, relied on their technology to expand outward like mad. The planet inhabited by the Kree had likewise become a target for Skrull enslavement and experimentation.
To survive, the Kree slaughtered another race living on the same planet, a race selected by the Skrulls, and thus obtained technology from the Skrull Empire.
Daring and ambitious, the Kree used the technological data left behind by the Skrulls to begin improving and transforming themselves.
The process was long and difficult, but in the end, the Kree succeeded.
After that, they created an AI God capable of leading their race forward. The Kree called it the Supreme Intelligence.
And it was this Supreme Intelligence, revered by the Kree as an AI God, that truly sounded the horn for their counterattack against the Skrulls. In an extremely short time, the Kree evolved from a weak, backward civilization into a powerful technological civilization. Under the Supreme Intelligence's leadership, they began expanding outward with wild abandon. Thus, the vast and powerful Kree Empire was officially established.
Wars of blood and fire followed one after another, ultimately forging the Kree Empire's fearsome reputation.
With their constantly advancing technology, the once-weak Kree swiftly grew from an insignificant race into the powerful empire that now held immense influence in the universe.
It was nothing short of a miracle in the history of cosmic civilization.
That was everything Beckett knew about the Kree.
Some of it had come from Ebony Maw's database, while some had been hearsay gathered during past missions. In any case, the Kree were far from benevolent.
This time, Beckett's target was the Kree Empire. More specifically, it was someone within the Kree Empire, someone who possessed advanced methods for manufacturing energy weapons.
"His name is Astra."
Back in the Dark Order, Thanos sat upon his throne and swept out a hand. An image of a blue-skinned middle-aged man appeared before Beckett.
He carried a heavy cannon on his shoulder, had an unkempt beard, and bore two intersecting cross-shaped scars on his smooth forehead. Judging by his fierce features and attire alone, people would probably believe he was a space pirate.
"This man perfected an energy conversion formula. Tests have shown that it can increase the power of existing energy weapons by a hundredfold."
"A hundredfold increase?"
Beckett's heart stirred at those words. This was no ordinary enhancement. No wonder his adoptive father, Thanos, was interested.
"That's right. So I want you to bring him back." Thanos rose from his throne, gesturing through the air with his right hand as phantom images of planets appeared one after another before Beckett.
"This is the Kree Empire's sphere of influence. And Astra is here right now." Thanos's finger came down on a prosperous planet named Tofa.
"On the battlefield?" Beckett looked at the red markings surrounding Tofa Star in confusion.
"On the edge of the battlefield." Thanos shook his head and enlarged the image of Tofa Star.
Tofa Star's location was awkward. At present, the Skrull Empire and the Kree Empire were locked in a protracted interstellar war around the planet, one that had yet to end even now.
As one of the Kree's battlefield scientists, Astra had led his team on Tofa Star, continuously researching, testing, and improving weapons that could be used in war. This allowed the Kree Empire's frontline soldiers to apply the newest technology as quickly as possible and defeat the cunning Skrulls sooner.
That formula capable of amplifying energy by more than a hundredfold had been completed by Astra under precisely such tense wartime conditions.
"The Kree Empire also knows how important Astra is. Right now, they're trying to safely send this Astra back to their homeworld, Hala."
"What you need to do is bring him back before Astra leaves Tofa." After dispersing the planetary images with a wave of his hand, Thanos reached out and patted his son's shoulder.
"And only if you do it can I truly rest easy."
Beckett said nothing. He merely stared at Astra's image and nodded heavily.
"Welcome back, His Highness Beckett."
"Gates, gather all the information in Ebony Maw's database regarding the Kree Empire and the Skrull Empire, then transmit it to Woz aboard the warship." After bidding farewell to his adoptive father, Thanos, Beckett returned to his own palace.
As a child raised by Thanos since infancy, Beckett was the only one among Thanos's many adopted sons to possess a palace within the Dark Order.
"Yes, His Highness Beckett."
Butler Mech Cat Gates, wearing an apron around its waist, immediately froze in place. Its consciousness instantly connected to the database established by Ebony Maw, and according to Beckett's request, transmitted the required information to Woz, another model identical to itself.
"His Highness Beckett, what would you like for dinner tonight?" Once the transmission was complete, Gates's eyes regained their liveliness.
"Anything. You decide."
Beckett waved a hand and headed straight for another part of the palace. The Nutrient Pod with the strongest healing effects was located there. From childhood to adulthood, he could no longer remember how many times he had soaked in it.
"Clatter."
As Beckett removed his Battle Suit, he heard something fall to the floor. Looking down, he saw that it was the miniature tracker Hela had "returned" to him earlier.
Hela Odinsdottir?
"Next time we meet, I'll definitely defeat you."
The woman's earnest words rang in Beckett's ears. He sneered and was about to destroy the tracker, which had become completely useless to him, when he suddenly sensed a force arising from it, trying to stop him from destroying the evidence.
It was faint, but it undeniably existed.
"Do you like being naked that much? I have to admit that you have a great body, but my upbringing tells me that this definitely isn't a good habit."
A figure emerged from the light radiating from the tracker. The woman with long raven-black hair appeared before Beckett, raising her head to inspect the palace's decor.
"Hela Odinsdottir."
Beckett narrowed his eyes, his face brimming with a dangerous glint.
"The wonders of magic are something a magical idiot like you would never understand." Hela spread her hands and tilted her head. After all, Beckett knew nothing about magic.
"All right, I'll keep it short. Three months from now, on Planet G30 in the Milky Way, I'll be waiting for you on that planet, in the name of Asgard—"
"Childish."
The icy word brutally cut off Hela's declaration.
"What? Sorry, I didn't hear that clearly. Did you just call me childish?"
Hela, who had returned to Asgard, washed and conditioned her hair, and even patched up her clothes, looked at Beckett's naked image with clear displeasure in her voice.
She was issuing a challenge in her capacity as the Asgardian Princess, all right?
After returning to Asgard, Hela's strength had instantly been replenished. Having estimated the extent of her energy growth, she set the rematch for three months later. She wanted to prove to her father that she was absolutely no worse than Beckett.
"I—"
"You will never defeat me. Never."
Before Hela, far away in Asgard's royal palace, could finish speaking, Beckett directly crushed the magic tracker that was still trying to resist.
What kind of flashy magic was that? It was still just one punch from him.
Thanks for the reward, Whatever-Your-Name-Is~
Just one update today. Spending Dragon Boat Festival night at the beach~
For the Dragon Boat Festival, those with time off should rest well, and those taking exams should perform beyond expectations~
Thinking back, a few years ago, I was just a tiny bit short of getting into Sun Yat-sen University~
Oh, right, one very important question: does anyone know how old Ronan was in the movies...?
Before you continue