"Observation: Are you the organic being who successfully repaired my systems? You are considerably smaller in stature than the last technician who performed maintenance on my chassis," HK-47 commented as he studied Rocket with obvious curiosity. "Additionally, I must note that I am unfamiliar with several of your species represented here."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Rocket asked with growing interest.
"Clarification: None of your biological classifications appear in my extensive databanks," the ancient droid explained matter-of-factly.
"I... I may very well be the last surviving member of my race," Drax the Destroyer said with obvious melancholy and pain. He had never returned to his homeworld since his wife and daughter had been brutally murdered by Ronan the Accuser and his forces.
"I am Groot!" the tree-like being added with a somewhat sad tone.
"I honestly don't know if there are others like me anywhere in the universe," Mantis said thoughtfully, her large eyes reflecting uncertainty about her own origins and heritage.
"Those two are the only members of my species that I'm personally aware of," Gamora added, gesturing toward Star-Lord and Kraglin.
Noticing HK-47's optical sensors focusing intently on him and Kraglin, Star-Lord voiced what he was currently thinking: "Wait, you actually recognize humans? You have humans in your database?"
"Affirmative Statement: Correct."
"Interesting... so there are human populations in whatever part of the galaxy you originally came from?" Peter pressed for more information.
"Confirmed: That is correct once again."
"Look Quill, the universe is absolutely filled with all kinds of different creatures and species," Rocket pointed out with characteristic pragmatism. "What's so particularly strange or unusual about that basic fact?"
"I know, I know. I'm just making an observation and trying to understand our new friend here better," Star-Lord replied defensively.
HK-47 took several moments to carefully examine the hangar bay he was currently standing in, paying particular attention to the deteriorated condition of his former vessel.
"Mournful Statement: Oh, my beloved Ebon Hawk! How deeply saddening it is to see her in such a pitiful and degraded state. My master would be absolutely furious to witness his prized ship reduced to such tattered remains."
The Guardians found the droid's obviously emotional response to be somewhat unusual for a mechanical being, but they simply accepted it as part of his unique personality programming and moved on.
"Four thousand years of deactivation..." HK-47 muttered to himself in what seemed like genuine disbelief. "This duration of offline status is truly without precedent in my operational history. I have never been deactivated for such an extended period."
"What's the last thing you can remember before your systems were shut down?" Gamora asked with genuine curiosity about the droid's past experiences.
HK-47 processed this inquiry for several moments before responding.
"Recollection: There was another war raging throughout the galaxy. Yet another devastating conflict between the Jedi Order and the Sith Empire, and during that period I was being utilized as a template for mass-producing additional assassination droids with capabilities similar to my own."
"You must be one hell of an effective assassin droid if they were using you as a manufacturing template," Rocket observed with obvious interest, his eyes gleaming with the possibilities such advanced technology might represent.
"Proud Declaration: I am unquestionably one of the most efficient and deadly assassination units ever constructed," HK-47 replied with unmistakable pride in his voice.
"Rocket..." Gamora said in a warning tone, giving the cybernetically enhanced raccoon a stern look as she noticed his calculating expression.
HK-47 remained silent for several long moments, looking pensively at his ancient, damaged ship, then shifting his attention to examine the much more modern and well-maintained Benatar. "Formal Request: I would like to propose joining your organization, if you would have me."
"Really?" Star-Lord asked with surprise.
"Explanation: Yes, that is my sincere desire. I currently have no other mission or purpose to fulfill," HK-47 explained logically. "I am prepared to serve you without question or hesitation, and I am fully capable of eliminating any targets you designate for termination—"
"Then welcome aboard our crew!" Rocket exclaimed with obvious enthusiasm and barely contained excitement.
Several of the other Guardians groaned audibly, immediately recognizing that Rocket was already planning to exploit the assassination droid's capabilities for his own various schemes and projects.
"Declaration: Assassination protocols now activated. Greetings, Master," HK-47 said formally to Rocket, whose grin had now become somewhat maniacal with anticipation.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on there," Star-Lord quickly interjected, realizing he needed to establish proper command structure immediately. "I don't normally make a big deal about this kind of thing, but I am the captain and team leader here."
"That's absolutely true, Peter is our established leader," Gamora quickly added, understanding exactly what Star-Lord was trying to accomplish and why it was crucial.
"Confirmed, he is indeed our captain," Drax the Destroyer also stated with firm support.
"Yes, yes, Peter leads all of us," Mantis chimed in helpfully.
"We call him Star-Lord for very good reasons," Kraglin added with conviction. Like all the other Guardians, he understood that allowing Rocket to have personal control over an advanced assassination droid would inevitably lead to chaos and potentially catastrophic consequences.
"Apologetic Correction: Please forgive my premature assumption. I must first examine what salvageable resources remain aboard the Ebon Hawk before making any permanent commitments."
HK-47 turned and walked purposefully back into his ancient, deteriorating ship.
"I honestly don't know whether I should be excited about this development or absolutely terrified," Star-Lord admitted to his teammates.
"Could it possibly be both emotions simultaneously?" Mantis asked with innocent curiosity.
"Why did you have to go and completely ruin my fun, Quill?" Rocket complained loudly with obvious annoyance and disappointment.
"Come on, Rocket," Peter replied with weary patience. "You know perfectly well why I had to step in and establish proper boundaries."
"I thought we were supposed to be friends," Rocket said with hurt feelings and obvious resentment.
"We are friends, and sometimes as your friends, it's our responsibility to prevent you from doing things that would obviously be detrimental to your health and our team's stability," Gamora explained with diplomatic firmness.
Rocket simply grumbled his displeasure, crossing his arms in a petulant manner and pointedly looking away from his teammates.
Star-Lord suddenly placed a supportive hand on Drax's massive shoulder and said, "Drax, I want you to know that I'm genuinely glad you've been so open with us about everything you experienced during your previous rampage of vengeance. It was undoubtedly terrible and traumatic, but it's nothing we can't handle together as a team."
Drax straightened his broad chest with obvious pride. "Thank you very much for your understanding and acceptance, Quill."
The ancient droid returned from his inspection and immediately addressed them: "Fascinated Inquiry: Drax, would you have time to entertain me with detailed accounts of this 'rampage' that Peter Quill referenced? I find myself quite curious about your violent exploits."
"Oh, absolutely," Drax promised with enthusiasm. "I would be delighted to tell you exactly how I earned the fearsome title of 'Destroyer' and the reputation that accompanied it."
Though it was difficult to detect any facial expressions given his metallic faceplate, HK-47's internal processors were practically glowing with excitement and anticipation. Perhaps these organic creatures wouldn't be such disappointing companions after all! They had already promised to utilize his specialized skills, and at least two of them seemed to possess satisfyingly bloodthirsty tendencies.
Star-Lord looked directly at HK-47 and said with stern authority, "Just don't make me regret this decision by forcing me to have Rocket disassemble you again."
"Humble Assurance: Master, I truly despise being reduced to scrap metal and spare parts. Such treatment would represent a tragic waste of my considerable genius-level capabilities."
Star-Lord sighed heavily and said, "Fine. You can show us your more violent and deadly capabilities when we actually need them for legitimate purposes."
"Eager Anticipation: Oh, I absolutely cannot wait to demonstrate my full range of combat abilities," HK-47 replied with obvious enthusiasm.
Gamora simply sighed and looked at Star-Lord with obvious concern. "Are you completely certain about this decision, Peter?"
Star-Lord just shrugged with resignation. "Well, if he really is as effective an assassination droid as he claims to be... it's definitely kind of scary, but I have to admit that it's also pretty cool to have that kind of firepower on our team."
Gamora shook her head in mild exasperation but smiled affectionately as she kissed Star-Lord gently on the cheek and slipped her arm around his waist.
HK-47 then spoke up again with another request: "Formal Petition: Would it be possible for you to transport the Ebon Hawk along with us when we depart?"
Star-Lord looked back at the ancient assassination droid, and all the other Guardians expressed obvious curiosity about this request. "Why exactly would you want us to do that?"
"Explanation: Primarily for sentimental reasons, as this vessel represents my last connection to my deceased masters. Additionally, there are numerous components and systems aboard this ship that could prove extremely valuable if the vessel could be restored to functional operating condition. Not to mention the various hidden caches and secret compartments that contain potentially useful resources."
"Ooh, hidden caches usually mean advanced technology and valuable equipment," Rocket said with obvious excitement, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Please tell me, where exactly are these hidden compartments located on this ship?"
"Actually, before you get carried away with treasure hunting," Kraglin interrupted, "do you know how to operate this ship's navigation systems?"
"Confirmed: I am fully familiar with all of the Ebon Hawk's operational systems," HK-47 replied.
"That's excellent news, because Quill and I have been struggling to decipher the star charts and navigation data we recovered," Kraglin explained with relief.
"Yes, there's some kind of language or writing system in the computer files that we don't recognize at all," Star-Lord added.
HK-47 tilted his head in obvious confusion at this statement.
"Puzzled Inquiry: Are you not familiar with Basic Galactic Standard Language?"
"Basic Galactic Standard?" Star-Lord repeated with growing confusion. "Is that the name of the common language used in your galaxy?"
"Affirmative: It is the primary lingua franca used throughout civilized space," HK-47 confirmed. "But what exactly do you mean when you refer to 'your galaxy' as if it were separate from yours?"
All the Guardians fell silent for several long moments, exchanging meaningful glances.
"Where exactly did you discover my ship?" HK-47 asked with growing concern.
"Well... how exactly do we explain this particular situation?" Rocket pondered aloud with obvious uncertainty.
The realization that HK-47 might no longer be in his original galaxy was quite extraordinary and potentially overwhelming. There would be countless questions to address, since this scenario was completely outside his programmed parameters and operational capabilities
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