"Good morning, Lord Lothar."
A dreamless, restful night.
As Lothar awakened from his slumber and opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Woz raising a hand in greeting, its grin almost mechanical.
"I have already placed your breakfast order via the information network. You only need to wait a moment."
Without a domestic service program installed, Woz could only rely on networked ordering to prepare a lavish breakfast for Lothar. It was, after all, not Gaitz, who managed Lothar's affairs at the Black Quadrant base—though it could now link to Gaitz if necessary.
"One more thing, Lord Lothar. General Corvus Glaive and the forces of Proxima Midnight arrived in Kree territory last night and launched an assault on the planets under its rule. I extracted this information from the logs of Glaive's warship."
In the name of the Black Quadrant, war was declared against the Kree Empire. Thanos' actions sent shockwaves across the universe, leaving many to speculate about the friction between the Kree and the Black Quadrant.
Especially given Glaive's words on the battlefield: The Kree Supreme Leader will pay the price for his folly and ignorance. No one provokes Lord Thanos without consequence.
"So they moved this quickly? That's just his style," Lothar raised an eyebrow upon hearing the news.
No drawn-out negotiations—straight to war. Any discussions would happen after the battle. Glaive's leadership was nothing like the scheming, drawn-out tactics of Ebony Maw.
Still... Lothar had expected Proxima Midnight's presence to temper Glaive's approach. After all, this was a joint operation. Alongside their own fleets, they also commanded the Chitauri forces that Lothar had entrusted to Proxima Midnight.
"Indeed, Prince Lothar. Woz advises that you prepare for potential detection by the Skrulls. Given the Kree Empire's sudden attack, the Skrulls are investigating the cause."
As one of the most formidable empires in the universe, the Skrulls' intelligence division would spare no effort in uncovering the truth. If they focused their resources, there was a real chance they could pierce through Woz's fabricated identity on Planet U40.
"Being discovered..." Lothar paused mid-motion, his hand gripping a shirt, deep in thought.
Beep! Beep!
"Lord Lothar, an external signal has been detected. The sender is requesting communication."
Even as Woz relayed the information, an alert flashed repeatedly.
"Warning! Unable to trace the signal source. Do you wish to accept?"
"Warning! Unable to trace the signal source. Do you wish to accept?"
"Warning! Warning—"
The flashing crimson glow in Woz's optics reflected in Lothar's eyes. He chose to accept the call. After all, Woz's communication frequency was a well-kept secret.
Twin beams of light projected from Woz's mechanical eyes, converging in the air before Lothar to form a shimmering blue holographic screen. A magnificent and regal throne room came into view.
And standing beside the throne was none other than—Hela Odinsdottir.
Not the Skrulls, as Lothar had initially expected.
"Why is it that every time I see you, you're either completely naked or **? Do you have some kind of fetish?" Clad in a form-fitting black suit with gold trim, Hela smirked as she eyed him through the screen.
"Hela Odinsdottir." Lothar's gaze narrowed, his voice laced with coldness. "Are you tired of living?"
Lothar was certain he had never given Hela access to Woz's frequency. So how did she obtain it?
"Ah, the wonders of magic. A magic-null entity like you could never understand."
Hela grinned, casually resting a spear against the throne once occupied by her father, Odin. Her gaze gleamed with amusement as she observed Lothar's chiseled physique on the screen.
A second later, the screen went black.
Hela's smirk froze in place.
She hadn't even asked about the Casket of Ancient Winters—Odin's last message to her—before the connection was abruptly cut.
Trying to reconnect with Woz's frequency proved futile. It was as if she had been completely blocked.
Clearly, she had been shut out.
At the manor's dining hall, freshly showered and dressed, Lothar sat at the table, tearing through his meal at an astonishing pace. The food on his plate vanished rapidly before Woz's ever-vigilant gaze.
"Lord Lothar, two Skrull squads have been detected outside the manor. Our cover may have been compromised."
As Woz finished its report, a loud knock echoed from the front gate.
"Ignore them," Lothar said nonchalantly, continuing to devour his meal at a leisurely yet relentless pace.
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Who's making such a ruckus this early in the morning? Let a guy sleep!"
Yawning, Astra adjusted his green helmet as he approached the entrance. With The Other still locked away in training, it fell to him to answer the door.
The sight that greeted him instantly erased his drowsiness.
An entire squad of fully armed Skrull soldiers.
Instinctively, Astra tried to slam the door shut—but he was too late.
A jade-green hand shot out, blocking the door effortlessly.
"Sachima Udon'ta... Not a bad alias." The lead Skrull sneered, addressing Astra by his assumed identity. Cold sweat beaded down Astra's forehead.
One good night's sleep... and now he was about to be thrown into a cell?
"Relax. We're not here for you anymore, Kree."
The veiled implication hung in the air. Astra glanced at the formation of Skrull soldiers standing in rigid rows outside the gate. Then, hesitantly, he looked over his shoulder at the Skrull officer already walking into the manor before quickly shutting the door behind him.
When in doubt, ask Lothar.
"The esteemed Babar, administrator of the Skrull Empire's operations on Planet U40, Prince Lothar is expecting you in the dining hall."
As the Skrull known as Babar stepped into the manor, Woz's voice greeted him, causing a flicker of intrigue in his mind.
The AI mentioned in the reports?
Interesting.
Following Woz's guidance, Babar proceeded unchallenged until he reached the dining hall.
Before him, the man at the head of the table sat amidst a mountain of empty plates, still calmly finishing his meal. Lothar did not seem the least bit perturbed by Babar's arrival.
"You don't seem surprised," Babar observed, his curiosity piqued. Though young, Lothar's record, as compiled by the Skrull Empire's intelligence division, was enough to make anyone wary.
"Should I be?" Lothar replied, sliding the last bite of food into his mouth, still not sparing Babar a glance.
With Glaive and Proxima Midnight launching a war against the Kree Empire—under the Black Quadrant's banner—there was no way the Skrulls would miss such an opportunity.
"Interested in making a deal, Lothar?"
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