A living planet • Ego the Celestial

A warm, resonant voice suddenly rang out over the Milano's comms channel.

"Peter Quill, my child, I've been looking for you for a very long time."

The cockpit fell deathly silent.

Rocket's ears twitched, disbelief written all over his face. Gamora frowned, her eyes full of wariness. Drax rubbed his bald head, seemingly pondering what those words meant.

Peter Quill froze completely, staring blankly at the enormous, unbelievable sight beyond the viewport.

It was a planet.

A... Living planet.

Its surface was azure blue, like a flowing ocean, yet the outline of an enormous human face was clearly visible upon it. The face wore a gentle smile, soft lights glowing where its eyes should have been as it gazed at their tiny ship.

"What... what the hell is that?" Rocket broke the silence first. He jumped onto the console and pointed outside. "A talking planet? Is this the latest intergalactic scam?"

"I am Groot." Groot waved his little branches.

"Exactly! This is ridiculous!"

Quill ignored Rocket's outburst. He stared fixedly at that face, his lips trembling slightly. That voice, that feeling, had struck a chord deep within his heart.

"Who... who are you?" he asked into the communicator, his voice dry.

"I am Ego, Peter. I am your father."

Father.

The word exploded like a bomb in Quill's mind. He had grown up without a father. Before his mother died of illness, she had always told him that his father was a man of light from the stars. He had always thought it was just a fairy tale she told to comfort him.

But now, a living planet was claiming to be his father.

This was even more absurd than a fairy tale.

Just then, an elegant ship shaped like white petals slowly emerged in front of the planet and