Yondu's Krylorian

CHAPTER ONE

     THWACK! Nyromar's hand slammed against my cheek, sending me to the floor. We had just returned home to Krylor from Morag. Nyromar bought me from my father, Sanulor Pauq'ar, when I came of the age. He loved that I was small and fast, said I'd be a great thief, so, he paid my father five thousand units for me, and took me away without even letting me say goodbye to my mother or my brother, Oblo.

     Oblo and I were close, we did everything together up until the day I was sold. Oblo wanted me to run away with him, but we got busted. Oblo got a beating of a lifetime and Nyromar beat me as soon as we got to his house. I haven't seen my brother since. I constantly wondered what he was doing now, if he was even still alive, and something deep down hoped that he was looking for me.

     Nyromar was right about one thing, I was a great thief. Over the ten years I've lived and served Nyromar, I have stolen millions of units worth of artifacts in which he sold for profit to Broker on Xandar. When I did a good job, he would reward me with simple things, like letting me buy something small from Broker's shop or skipping the beating for the day. Usually, he just skipped the beatings, but when he did beat me, he only did it because he had to teach me a lesson. I'm not sure what that lesson is, but that's probably why he beats me, because the lesson hasn't sunk in.

     I'm great at what I do, I love what I do, but today, today wasn't a good day. I failed him. We took a ship out to Morag where he sent me down to the planet to retrieve something he called an Orb, but when I got there, the cave was empty and the Orb was already gone. When I told Nyromar of the fate of the Orb, he didn't say anything, only that he would deal with me when we returned to Krylor.

     "You stupid bitch!" Nyromar snarled. "I told you to retrieve the orb, and you came back with nothing!"

     "The Orb was gone." I responded. "I swear I wouldn't lie to you. I was too late. I'm sorry, sir, I failed you." Tears rolled down my pink cheeks as I crawled over to Nyromar, gently touching his shoes, begging for forgiveness.

     "GET OFF!" THWACK! Nyromar lifted his foot and slammed his boot into my face. Blood slowly trickled from my nose and onto the floor. "You're fucking worthless! I oughta ship your ass off to Hala and buy myself a better slave!"

     "No!" I cried. Nyromar constantly told me stories of slavery on Hala. Brutal torture. One man made his own daughter into a cyborg as punishment. I had it good here on Krylor, the last thing I wanted was to become a slave to the Kree Empire. "Sir, please," I whimpered. "I-I can- I can make things better. Please, sir, give me another chance."

     "Another chance?" Nyromar scoffed. "You blew your chance!"

     "No, sir, please, I-"

     "Save your excuses, you fucking worthless Krylorian bitch! You ruined everything!"

     "I can make it better! I know of a jewel." Nyromar's contorted face softened.

     "The missing crowned jewel of X?"

     "That's the one. It's here in Krylor, it's hidden in an underground vault. I can get it. I can make things right. Please, sir." Nyromar looked down at me in silence, debating on a decision. "I will not fail you again, Nyromar." Nyromar's lip curled into a sly smile as he let out a sigh "GAH!" I winced in pain as he yanked me to my feet by my hair.

     "I know you won't, Devora." Nyromar grumbled. "Because if you fail me again, I will drop your ass off at the Kree Empire myself and watch them tear you apart. Limb. By. Limb." I nervously swallowed. "Understand what I'm saying?" I nodded in response. "Good." Nyromar grabbed my knife and satchel from the counter and dragged me to the front door, throwing me out onto the road, tossing my things beside me. "You have one hour! If you're not back by then, I will hunt your ass down and kill you myself!" Nyromar slammed the door and everyone stopped and stared at me.